Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-06
MOST PECULIAR RACE
Tribe of White Indians That
Live in Venezuela.
ARE NOT A MYTH AFTER ALL
No Stranger Has Penetrated Into
Their Country.
GENERAL BRITO'S TESTIMONY
Description of the Men-Marvelous
Ability as Boatmen-Alleged
Beauty Of the Women.
ARE NOT A MYTH AFTER ALL
GENERAL BRITo's TESTIMONY

Travellers in Venezuela occa sionally hear
strange tales of race of white Indians
irhabiting the UNEMPLOYED river country
that lies between the Orinoco and the
Caribbean sea.
According, to the legends these Indians
are utterly unlike the other natives of
the country not only in respect to their
color, which is a pure white but also
as to physique, facial contour, racial char
acteristics and habits of life. Their women
said to be of great beauty. but whence
this testimony comes unless from the In
dams themselves is not clear, since common
report has it that no explorer has ever
returned from their stronghold, though not
a few have set out to visit it.
Though they have no war against out
sders, SO savagely do they receive all in
truGers, whether peaceably inclined
otherwise, that the taxgatherer. the census
enumeration, and even the recruiting officer
pass by the water gateway to their beauti-
full and fertile country. rather than come
within range CT their deadly bows and still
more deadly blow guns
Such is the substance of the accounts
given, by the dark-skinned Indians at
the state of Bermudez to our party of
engineers. Now, in Venezuela the crop
of imagination to the square inch is great
er than the crop of truth. Some few of us
took the trouble to make investigation.
We asked the Roman Catholic priests, who
are likely to know whatever there is to
be known about that country. They had
little to tell. Parties that had gone into
the river country had never returned. But
what did that mean? Fever, perhaps,
snake bite, or death in the rapids or cat
aracts. AS for the white Indians the good
priests had never seen them.
We asked little bands of forest dwelfers
who came to our camp to trade. Their
testimony was equally positive on the other
side. Certainly there were white Indians
IL,
warriors and their utensils weres of gold,
and they had horns. and perhaps tails
That seemed to settle it. We sorrowfuly
gave up the white Indians. At least 1 did
and within one week thereafter l met
party of them, not the horned and tailed
kind, to be sure, but of so remarkable
type that / doubt whether any other race
on earth can compare with them as an
chronological puzzle.
The White Indians.
1t was at the little remote settlement
of Guanoco that saw them. A long, mar
row, dugout canoe propelled by seven men,
came shooting up the river at tremen-
dous pace, and. as it drew up beside the
bank, the paddlers stepped out and quick
ly unloaded the temeche, or matching palm
which constituted their cargo. AS they
worked the dark-skinned VILLAGERS gathered
around them with awe and wonder, for no
one there had ever before seen such people
these.
At first glance took them for Europeans
They wore European shirts and trousers.
which. 1 afterward learned. came from
Trinidad, and their quick, energetic manner
of work suggested the Caucasian rather
than the aboriginal. All were nearly OF a
size. about five feet six inches. and both
powerfully and gracefully built. They NOV
ed with the swinging gait of men who
are hardened to long distances They were
well formed. feet and hands quite normal
in size. Not a trace of the Indian, as we
Ernntl i'm, To hn ir, fha fon Thn
features were regular; no high cheek bone
no low forehead 20 thick lips or broad ex-
pansive face; hair straight jet black, but
not coarse. None wore beard mustache.
But the wonderful thing about them was
their color. They were white; pure white,
not the arsenical pallor, nor the bleach due
to illness. nor the albno hue. but pc
culiar, indescribable white.
AS the work of unloading was
over they started to re-embark, but being
invited to visit the company's store and
the asphalt railroad further up the stream,
they readily accepted. Anything more diff
ferent from the bearing of the Venezuelan
Indian than was their behavior would be
difficult to imagine. Although all the sur
roundings must have been wonderful to
them, they exhibited an interest which
could not by any stretch be called curiosity.
Never for moment were they anything
but dignified. When they spoke among
themselves which was seldom, their voices
were calm and quiet. Their signs to US
were all restrained and courteous. When
they were served with hard tack and rum
at the store they ate and drank with rel
ish, but without greediness. and soon after
they left. Their bearing was such as
might be expected of a party of high caste
Brahmans. coming in from their silent
Businesses to world which to them was of
little account.
Allow No Visitors.
This party had been hired by Gen Brito
captain of the river for the district, to
fro nnrtfh he alp Il h.I
up the Guanoco river near the mouth of
one of the hidden streams that lead to
their country. and after some difficulty per-
suaded them to undertake the task Gen.
Brito probably knows more about these
strange folk than any other civilized per-
con alive. On meeting and talking with
him / expressed wish to make up an
expedition to visit their country.
That is simply impossible he said
promptly. las long as have been travel
Ing these rivers. and as well / know the
chief of the people you saw at the settle
ment, have never been able to visit their
villages or even to reach one of their camps
Once. from a clear spot on a mountain top
! caught glimpse of the main village
which lies In the center OF lovely and
fertile valley. surrounded by mountains on
all sides. So far as l could judge the viii
lage was of a far better type than of our
ordinary, Indians. but l could tell little of
the nature of the habitations."
Would 1t not be possible for you to PEN
citrate this country?'
Gen. Brito shrugged his shoulders
1t Is years since any one has tried. Be-
fore / came here there was man from
your country who went-but he did not come
back. Then German made up a party.
quite strong party, we'll armed, but 1
have never seen any one who could tell
what became of this party. There is talk
OF other expeditions. too. I do not know
how many havve gone; I know none has
come back. My friend. the chief. tells me
that no stranger has ever entered or even
can enter the valley; and am not ambi-
tious to prove that he Is mistaken.
Entrance to their valley Is well defended
by nature. A small creek is the principal
waterway thither 1t leads through a
dense mangrove swamp, and well
masked is the mouth that you might pass
II q thousand times and never discover it.
Sentinels are always guard there with
their ten-foot bows and their blow guns.
with which they are deadly marksmen. or
late they have got hold of some rifles. for
occasional trading parties of these people
go out, travelling some distances by wafer.
III there is any land approach to tnei-
valley / do not know 1t. The mountains
about II are almost inaccessible and are
bordered by dreadful morasses.