The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-25

were always most kind and faithful to
her. Marriage was by consen, OF the
woman-a thing rare among savages.
Adultery was hardly ever heard of; II it
happened. II was punished by the sure
divorce OF death. The guilty man and
woman were each put, alone. on one OF
the thousand little islsts In the river, 10
starve to death or be slain by wild beasts.
They were honest folk, too, and men
OF their word. The Yaris and all the neigh
boring tribes never fail to carry out an
engagement if they can possibly do so.
The business met hods employed by
the rubber collect ORR are striking testi-
mony to the honesty OF these tribes. The
white merchant goes to the big house OF
the tribe, and throws his stock of barter
on the floor.
Each Indian takes what he desires-
ono looking glass. another maohete.
q third a pair Of scissors, and so forth
The merchant then departs to his station.
havirg disposed Of his stock in trade.
and received nothing for it.
Three moths or six months afterward.
according TO the season. the Indians be-
gin to arrive at his station, bringing rubber
TO pay for the goods they took. They tell
him what they had. and he weighs the
rubber and usually has to give them some
thing extra, according to the scale Of barter.
Sometimes a few Indians will not ar
rive, but tho chief Of the tribe says. So
and-So was killed while hunting. Here
is the machete he took OF. 'So-and-So
was sick and could not gather any rubber.
Here il his looking glass
The most extraordinary thing about
the Yaris is their dandyism. They are
the greatest dudes under the sun.
'The men are absolutely hideous in face.
with pronounced, protruding teeth. Their
complexion is bilious copper color. In
stature they are stunted. but they are we'll
formed. 1.-the, agile. and hold themselves
very erect.
Their expression, which is ferocious,
bellies their nature. They cut their hair
short at the neck and straight on their
foreheads. Through the cartilage OF the
nose they put stick about an inch long and
aquarter Of an inch thick. which raises the
nostrils, They put similar stick through
each ear.
They paint their faces and bodies in
gaudy colors with vegetable dyes. and it
is in this they show their dandyism most
forcibly. When they are not working
or hunting, they spend all their time paint
ing themselves and arranging their hair.
"The Yaris paint the foot, up to the calf
Of the leg, with some red vegetable dye
which protects them from insect bites
On this foundation they create fine decora-
tive scheme in blue and black. The body
and face are also painted.
"Of all our trade goods. what pleased
the Yaris most was an article never intended
for them. We took with us some blue ink
in tablet form, intending to melt it to
write our diaries with.
'One Of the Indians took up a tablet,
dipped it in water, and drew some lines on
his body with it. He was overjoyed when
he found that these lines did not wash of
readily, like his own vegetable dyes. After
that these tablets were our most valua BILE
coin
"The women Of the tribe have very deli
cate noses and fine hair. Like the men.
they are most clearly in their persons and
their habits, and attentive to their toilet.
Through their upper lip they thrust
two thorns. each being an inch and half
to two inches long. They do not adorn them
selves 80 much as the men or waste so much
time in dandyism. Both men and women
have remarkably small feet and hands
During six months Of the year. when
the river is high, the entire tribe lives in
the big house, When the rivers fall and
leave great sandbanks exposed each family
builds little hut OF sticks and lives on
one of the sandbanks.-