Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-10-11
FATE OF A BRAZILIAN TRIBE.
Tae Story OF High Priests Prophecy and
Its Fulfllment

Gae Story OF = High Priests Prophecy and
Its Fulfllment.
AT II village near tho source of the Oyn-
pok, the stream over which Brazil and
French Guiana arc disputing, says lie
Journal dies Voyages, IN old man Of the
Caicouchiane tribe Of Indians lives, the
only person of this tribe thcrcabout, and
he tells the story Of his peoples fate. Tho
tribe was once great, he said, but for rwo
generations it has been without country.
His people once had II country on the Tu-
mac-IIumac mountains called Paritou,
and for allies the Ouayauas, the Oupour-
ouis, and the EmGrillous. His people wcro
strong, but the evil spirits (yOlocks) cast
them down. A numerous people from the
cast came against his people and their al
lies. The great priest Of his people abode
three days without food in the house of
divinntions and came out looking rs if ten
years had passed over his head. He report
ed that the yolocks had docrced death to
tho people. Then the braves joined their
allies and the war went on.
The invading people were not brave, but
they came in swarms, until tho allies were
weuriCd with slaughter Many years
passed and many young warriors persisted,
while tho wDrnCn cried out that their low
ers were dead. The first to make this out
Cry WIS Anita, who had lost her lover in
tho mountains of PARTON. Then tho high
priest c'icd that this language deserved
death and Anita was strangled by the old
women.
Then tho high priest at length declared
that the fntcs had prophcsicd Alright, and
it was time for the people to take flight
through tho forest.
"Thy shall cat no moro cassava or tapi
oca," ne said they shall no more drink
cadciri, they shall no more know tho man
ioca. They shall 90 through the forest
known ONLY to the tiger and the tapir."
1t was in tho moon of Ayamouri, and
tho pcni lc ate only grains and cacao. They
started and reached The banks of the Oya-
polk, tnc long river. They passed over the
rocks oil Il i,.C;,t falls and reached the great
river Yingarari. They followed it toward
The south.
Three months after they had left the
70 st Of P"'ituu they CamC upon high
muUntaia whence flowed another Oyapok.
This Oyapok, they learned, was called
A2amiona:c. The high priest said that
thr 1llo #hnuld retire here to die. So
they ttlrd there and upon the banks of
aaui,.r ri}rr, tho OuroualtOu. and the
wu!.,l horcd that tie warriors would love
l.,sI U....I and the fields would he plant
e.. .,Is;'.a Ugh priest said:
&c, ant G"i'!., dance. BE beautiful,
yorug wor.ta; be handsome young war
ri ~, but do rot burn tic rimcuto. It's
useless, for the giant Couroup Cthc small
Tc2) comes to lead you to the iUar.cal
lutC..r.'
Tho glnt Couroup WAS without pity.
He a;ruli and struck again. Mothers
fed their children and children their
mothers Tire villages were full Of the
dead, full Of uncatcn cass;va. Tho cindcrs
of the hearth were not rclightcd. Nearly
all of the Caicouchiancs died. That was
long ago. To-day there remain not moro
than 80 Caicouchiancs dispersed among
the Oyampis The Caicouchianes are
dead, slain by war and COmoup because
the fatcs willcd it. Fate is neither just
nor unjust. but it is often sad.