Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-05-10

Probably no country on earth is
more interesting to the traveller on the
lookout for queer things and unusual
experiences than the Silvas of the
Amazon, and here is a story about an
Indian tribe of that region told by Ar
thur AXtell, an American traveller,
that can hardly be beaten:
These particular Indians were con
tinually bent on discovery and expert
menting, says Mr.. AXtell Somehow
they had come into the possession of
some silkworms and by feeding them
on the tender leaves of some native
plants, produced good quality of silk.
Their method of obtaining the silk
and Transforming it into the garments
was crude. When the moths laid the
eggs the natives carried them in great
quantities in belts about their bodies,
thus giving the eggs body heat. At
the end of winter the eggs were hatch
ed and the result was an army of cat
erpillars. These were trained to crawl
over the naked bodies of the natives.
This was their home. They knew no
olner, and seemed quite contented.
During eight weeks the savage is
covered with these yellow crawlers. 1t
would seem that thousands of creeping
caterpillars over ones body from head
to foot would tickle one to death. Ger
tainly, a white man would find it un
bearable, but it must be remembered
these natives of Brazil are scarcely hu-
man. To them it is intensely interest
ing to train these worms in the wav
they should go. Small bits of leaves
are stuck on the bodies of the natives
in regular rows, and round and round
the worms go, feeding on the way
The natives help each other in the
placing of the bits of leaves and in
confning the worms to certain locali-
ties on the body.
These caterpillar covered "niggers,"
as DR.. F. A. Marsh who was of ouf
party, called them, sleep on their
backs at night and are careful not to
turn over in their sleep. That would
be sad calamity. When we came to
their village there were ten Indians,
men and women, in the act of raising
silk caterpillars by this unique pro-
cess. They were a sight to chill the
blood. | stood still and shuddered,
! n
for | had been told what the object of
it was and | admired the savage in
genuity.
4.ftel the worms have become dizzy
with playing the merry go-round' on
the bodies of the sayages they quit
eating and commence spinning lAe
outer covering for the cocoons.
The savages had found out that when
the cocoons were finished they would
burst, or the worms would eat their
way out. In either case the silk was
destroyed. So the worms are prevent
er from making the cocoons. Instead
the fibre for the outer covering is de-
in perplexlLy. But they doubtless con-
clude the savages are right, ana the
worms are in debt to them for eight
weeks of feeding so they start soon TO
the spinning of the silk.
The natives are now in ecstacy,
They make the worms hustle around
them as they have been taught dur
ing their little lives, and spinning as
they go the fine filaments of shining
silk Round and round crawl the
worms, each one spinning one to -four
thousand yards of silk thread around
the swarthy, savage neck, around each
naked arm, around the chest and alb
domen and the lower limbs. The work
of the worm is over.
And the result is a remarkable
transformation! From nude saw
age figure, loathsome and repulsive
with thousands of yellow worms
crawling, twisting, writhing, squirm-
ing, to a conquering, proud native Of
Brazil, clothed in perfectly fitting
garment of rich silk. He has toiled
not, neither has he spinned-he has
only bossed the job-yet he is clothed
in raiment as beautiful as the lilies Of
the field. What a feeling of suprem-
acy he must have. He has interferred
successfully with a divine plan. He
has turned aside the course of nature
and stands erect, in his own mind. at
least, man to be greatly admired
was told the first efforts to produce
these garments of silk were not sue
cessful, But by patience and perse-
verance the faults were corrected, a
close web perfected and the garment,
when completed, was pretty and fault
less. 1t is great country for dye
stuffs, and the silk garments were Civ
en- various brilliant colors. One old