46 
Botanical Reminiscences, 
of the huts who welcomed us in a long pathetic speech with 
the begimiiug ''Hure Macusi^' (I am a Macusi). Such a 
fluency of speech I had not before heard, even amongst the 
palavers of the old men ; none could be compared with him, 
regarding the laurel for eloquence. In the most flourishing 
language he told us that what we wanted (cassava bread and 
other provisions) they did not possess, that they themselves had 
no maize, and that they only had the few fruits of the forest 
to live upon, and only water to quench their thirst the same 
as the animals. In his hut we could sling our hammocks ; 
the water of the River Mayang was all he could offer us ; 
and in the settlements we would pass they could not better 
provide us than it was in his power to do. 
Our two guides, who went before us, had communicated to 
him our plans and the purpose of our travelling ; he under- 
stood it excellently, expressing himself for more than half an 
hour in a most fluent language, and on concluding his speech 
he shook hands with us. 
The assertion that the Indians of South America have not 
the gift for oratory, is not proved by my experience amongst 
the tribes of Guiana, but on the contrary, in their palavers I 
have heard speeches, which for bold and striking sentences 
in relation to sound common sense, were the more surprising, 
because we only became acquainted with them through 
interpreters. 
Through the open door of the hut before which the orator 
had received us, we saw the other inhabitants of the village 
assembled, who afterwards came out to welcome us. The 
greatest part of the male population were travelling. 
Except a few palm fruits, no trace of any other provisions 
could be seen, our stay was therefore only short, especially as 
our host assured us that we would reach another settlement 
before sundown, where the inhabitants had been lucky enough 
to have had an harvest of maize. Without being asked, the 
orator joined our party, with wife and children. 
With difficulty we pursued our journey, our tired limbs 
hardly being able to carry us ; silently we continued it 
towards the north-west, crossing a number of tribu- 
taries of the River Mayang, through woody oasis, and across 
savannas. To judge from the strong smell of musk, ascribed 
by the Indians to snakes which frequently crossed our path, 
the oasis must have been infested with them. With the 
setting sun, we found ourselves in the neighborhood of the 
