NATIVE SUPERSTITIONS. 
385 
the same manner a greater facility for fishing draws the web- 
footed and long-legged birds from the north to the south, 
from the Orinoco towards the Amazon. Nothing is more 
marvellous, and nothing is yet known less clearly in a geo- 
graphical point of view, than the direction, extent, and term 
of the migrations of birds. 
After having entered the Eio Negro by the Pimichin, and 
passed the small cataract at the confluence of the two rivers, 
we discovered, at the distance of a quarter of a league, the 
mission of Maroa. This village, containing one hundred and 
fifty Indians, presented an appearance of ease and prosperity. 
We purchased some fine specimens of the toucan alive; 
a courageous bird, the intelligence of which is developed like 
that of our domestic ravens. We passed on the right, above 
Maroa, first the mouth of the Aquio,* then that of the Tomo.f 
On the banks of the latter river dwell the Cheruvichahenas, 
some families of whom I have seen at San Francisco Solano. 
1 he Tomo lies near the Eio Guaicia (Xie), and the mission 
°t Tomo receives by that way fugitive Indians from the 
-Lower Guainia. We did not enter the mission, but Father 
Zea related to us with a smile, that the Indians of Tomo and 
Maroa had been one day in full insurrection, because an 
attempt was made to force them to dance the famous “ dance 
°f the devils.” The missionary had taken a fancy to have 
the ceremonies by which the piac/iea (who are at once priests, 
physicians, and conjurors) evoke the evil spirit Iolokiamo, 
represented in a burlesque manner. He thought that the 
“dance of the devils” would be an excellent means ofprov- 
]| 'g to the neophytes that Iolokiamo had no longer any 
power over them. Some young Indians, confiding in the 
promises of the missionary, consented to act the devils, and 
Were already decorated with blade and yellow plumes, and 
Jaguar-skins with long sweeping tails. The place where the 
church stands was surrounded by the soldiers who are dis- 
tributed in the missions, in order to add more effect to the 
counsels of the monks ; and those Indians who were not 
entirely satisfied with respect to the consequences of the 
Q ance, and the impotency of the evil spirit, were brought to 
* Aqui, Aaqui, Ake, of the most recent maps, 
t Tomui, Temujo, Torn on. 
2 c 
tol. II. 
