27 A 
Elegantly-Worked War-Clubs. 
and streams, she returned to the Rupununi hy way of the western haut 
of the Essequibo. Over pathless areas, and without further nourishment 
beyond what the bushes and trees offered her, she performed the 
journey in nine days when, after having had to swim across the Rupununi, 
she suddenly appeared in the village dead-tired, and torn to pieces with 
the thorns and cutting-grass; besides this, the heroic woman was all the 
time momentarily looking forward to her confinement. We had required 
three weeks for the same trip. Sororeng at our request learnt from the 
woman, upon whom, owing to this report, our whole interest was 
naturally centred, that she had always kept the Essequibo on her left, 
but with that had cut across all bends, so that she had, of course, reached 
the Rupununi much sooner than would have been possible by travelling 
up the stream. She at the same time assured us that beyond the belts of 
rock she had met with no special difficulties. Certainly the welcome that 
she received from her husband on his return could not have been quite 
the friendliest. On my return to Georgetown I wanted to pay her another 
visit, but found the settlement abandoned and the place already wholly 
restored to Mature. 
785. We learnt from the old chieftain that the Brazilians were not 
only still in possession of Pirara, but had led all the Macusis of (he village 
into slavery, which latter information, however, was not subsequently 
confirmed. Naturally, having to accept the news as true, and the expedi- 
tion bearing despatches wherein the arrival of the armed force would be 
notified to the Brazilian commander, my brother took some of the crews 
out of the other boats so as to reach Haiowa village, which still lay two 
days' distant from here, as quickly as possible; he hoped to be able to 
make more definite enquiries there. After a stay of several hours we 
left the settlement and my brother’s corial soon disappeared out of our 
range of vision. 
786. The banks of the Rupununi rose more and more, but in certain 
situations, as soon as the general precipitousness relaxed but a little, 
were nevertheless covered with vegetation down to the water’s edge. 
When at night we wanted to pitch camp we had first of all to cut a path 
up to the top of the slope. 
787. Hardly had we started on our way next morning when we saw a 
number of Indians garbed in their most beautiful finery standing in front 
of us on the bank ; they seemed to be expecting us, as indeed happened 
to be the case. They had probably heard casually from the Indian crew 
of the corial hurrying ahead, that we would soon be following, and now 
wanted to see us pass. Besides the really artistic feather-hats (Arro) 
the men wore particularly big necklaces (Poeng-Kere) of Dicotyles fangs, 
from which long tassels of toucan skins hung down their backs. Their 
huge and elegantly worked war-clubs which they called Taiken attracted 
the whole of my attention, and the wounds inflicted by them upon one 
another in battle must be frightful. Attached to the handle, that was 
wound round with cotton thread with long cotton tassels hanging down 
as ornaments, was a thick sling of the same material through which the 
hand is stuck so as to make it impossible for his opponent to wrest the 
