326 
A Scene of Confusion and Terror. 
portion of the drink : my previous disgust had nevertheless so far vanished 
that I was able to swallow the liquid without any serious remonstrance 
on the part of my stomach. Others on the other hand brought the pepper- 
pot and freshly-baked bread, which was laid on plates (Sumpa) plaited 
with Galathea ; if special characters are interwoven in these plates they 
are called Woro. As 1 wanted to make Nappi my headquarters for 
the mountain trips, 1 fixed myself up as comfortable as possible in the 
Strangers’ House: the residents, who in the meanwhile had gleaned from 
my companions that I intended staying with them for some time, lent me 
a helping hand. 
902. Although we must have reached fairly close to the base of the 
Kange, the high virgin forest nevertheless obscured its view. The settle- 
ment numbered a population of GO souls. Instead of a mud wall as I had 
hitherto noticed in the Macusi houses, the dome-shaped roof rested 
upon a scaffolding interwoven with palm-leaves, for the savannah 
w r as quite wanting here in the former material, 
903. The next morning was to present a recurrence of one of those 
scenes of confusion and terror, to which also on this occasion I could 
not remain wholly indifferent. At least half the population w r ere just 
then standing inquisitively around and looking longingly and admir- 
ingly at the things and articles of trade that I had brought with me, m 
wdien suddenly a loud shriek ringing through the forest set all the 
residents in the most obvious terror. It was thereupon soon repeated 
a few times until I was finally unable to distinguish the word “Caraiba” 
distinctly. At the first moment the inhabitants were turned into down- 
right lifeless statues mechanically repeating the dreaded word 
“Caraiba” like echoes of these shrill cries: but half a minute did not 
elapse before the most terrible uproar followed upon the silence. Yelling 
wildly the women seized their children and disappeared in the neigh- 
bourihg forest while the men rushed into the huts, and soon emerging 
with bows, arrows, fighting-clubs, weapons and knives, both the latter of 
which they had recently obtained from us in Pirara, hurried to the spot 
whence the warning call proceeded. Nevertheless before getting there 
they w r ere stopped by the oncoming rush of a young Macusi, around whom 
they formed a circle in a twinkling, while he, out of breath and making 
some lively gestures, said a few words to them and pointed with both 
hands to the forest. As far as I was concerned, the only wmrd intelligible 
was “Caraiba,” which some of the belated female refugees still continued 
to shout at me. I am convinced that just at this moment of uncertainty 
I may not have posed exactly as the model of a hero to an uninterested 
observer, for I could not but believe that it was a body of Brazilians who 
we re marching to Pirara to wrest it again from the English, on which 
account I already saw T in my mind’s eye all my “trade” as well as my 
valuable self in the hands of the advancing enemy forces. Similar fears 
must also have seized Tiedge : his look of despair at least prompted 
such thoughts. The first thing we both did was to carry the guns and 
other valuable articles into the bush, whereupon I hurried with a double- 
barrelled gun after the men who had already made their way into the 
thicket. Yet before I had got there, a loud noise drew' my attention aside 
to where several Macusis with three Brazilians in their midst were to 
