1 8 Botanical Reminiscences, ' 
his ears and almost reaching to the blue hat, which was still 
in the paper cover. His wives were to-day adorned in their 
printed dresses. 
My eyes searched for the twin sisters to admire them in 
their attire, but found that they were still busy stringing the 
beads, making some alteration in their bracelets, and smoothing 
and anointing the rich dark hair which covered their beauti- 
fully formed shoulders. Towards noon the toilet was finished. 
The rivers being the means of communication in the primi- 
tive forest, the guests arrived in their canoes, and announced 
their arrival at the landing-place of the village by a loud 
about, when they approached the village under the conduct of 
their chief at a slow pace. 
He was a fine, manly figure, dressed in a colored shirt, the 
head covered with a felt hat ; in his hand his chieftain staff. 
Close to him followed his retainers, mostly fine men, their- 
heads covered with fantastic feather caps, the faces marked 
with a number of white and red lines running in right 
angles and parallel, while the whole body to the feet was 
covered with angled figures — the feet below the ankle were 
painted red. The necks were ornamented with necklaces 
made of the teeth of monkeys and pekaries, from which xrere 
suspended down their backs large tassels made from the skins 
of the Toucans and other bird skins. The ankles were 
entwined with strings of the hollow seeds of the Thevetia 
neriifolia^ Juss., which at every step produced a strange bell- 
like sound. In simple bead ornaments, but profusely painted, ^ 
the women leading the children on their hands, closed the 
procession. 
Although our large boats at the landing-place must have 
excited the curiosity of the guests at their arrival in a high 
degree, and the appearance of so many strangers, black and 
white, who filled the village, must have increased their 
astonishment, the procession, passed us stern and solemn,, 
without taking the least notice of us. Only the children, 
who most probably had never seen white or black men before,, 
cast timid and clandestine looks towards us, and clung 
frightened to their mothers. 
As soon as the procession had arrived at the hut of the 
chieftain, mutual greetings were exchanged, and the chief sat 
down on a stool provided for him, whilst his subjects sur- 
rounded him, standing in a circle. The form of salutation 
amongst the Akawais is short. Guest : I come.’’ Host : 
