The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-02-29

tempting Providence to venture among the ruth
less saVages who inhabit the forests and llanos
watered by the Orinoco and its attiuents. SO
great however his desire to visit this little
known part Of the world that he determined, in
spite of the difficulties and dangers predicted, to
make at least the attempt to accomplish his long
cherished purpose.
He has always been glad that he paid heed
to the horrible forebodngs that were volunteered
by wellmeanng but iladvised people Had he
done so, he would have deprived himself OF one OF
the most delightful experiences of his life. For,
outside of certain dscomforts inseparably con-
nected with roughing it in the wild the entire trip
was one of agreeable surprises and unalloyed
pleasure And, in lieu of bloodthirsty savages
seeking to transtix him with poisoned arrows, he
found the Indians all along his route to be not
only harmless, but hospitable and obliging. In
deed some of the most pleasant Fecollect1ons he
has OF his wanderings in the wilds of Venezuela
and Colombia is the kindly treatment he invaria-
bly, received at the hands of the children OF the
forest
These observations says writer in the Pan
American Bulletin, have been suggested by a
work which has recently been published in Ber-
lin on the Indians inhabiting the region between
the Rio Negro and the Yapura. 1t is by DR.. Theo-
dor Koch-Grunberg, distinguished German trav- q
eIer and ethnologist, and entitled "Zwei Jahre
unter den Indanern' 1.-TWO Years Among the In
dians). 1t has appealed to us in special man
ner, not only on account OF the mine OF 1nforma-
tion it contains regarding the manners and Gus
toms Of the various tribes of Indians which the
author visited during his two years peregrinations
in this comparatively unknown part OF the world;
not only on account of its numerous and valuable
illustrations reproduced from photographs which
constitutes so valuable an aid to the right under
standing of the narrative but also, and chiefly, be-
cause the doctors experiences among the red men
of the regions visited were almost Identical with
in continent,
1t was In August 1903, that Dr. koch-Grunberg
reached the little town of Sac Felipe on the Up
per Rio Negro. Using this place as base, ne
proceeded without delay to explore its western al
fuents, the Icana the Uapes the Curicurlary and
their chief tributaries and to study the manners
customs and languages OF the divers Indian tribes
that live on or near their banks. After spending
nearly two years among these people, some OF
whom never saw white man before he returned
to Manaos. near the mouth OF the Rio Negro py
way of the Yapura and the Amazon.
He was we'll equipped for his work, which for
him was ever labor OF love. He had previously
accompanied DR.. Hermann Meyer during his ex-
ploration of the Xngu in southern Brazil, and had
then learned to admire the many notable quail
ties OF the unspoiled denizens of the Jungle.
Outside of young Brazilian, OF German descent.
his sole companions during his long Wanderlngs
among many tribes-some OF whom. ne had been
warned were antropofagos (cannibals)-were In
dans whom he employed as porters and boatmen
And these were in most instances what are known
as indios braves (wild Indians) who had little or
no contact with civilization. But so completely
did he from the first win the confidence and az
lection of these simple, kindly people, that they
at once treated him as one Of their own and made
him feel at home wherever he went.
And SO considerate and just was he in all his
dealings with them that his reputation preceded
him from tribe to tribe. Everywhere he was
known and welcomed as "the friend of the In
dams" and any service they could perform for
him was freely given. He lived in their malokas
Communal homes), shared in their repasts and
festivities took part in their dances and their
hunting expeditions, was witness of their strange
marriage and burial ceremonies, and romped with
their children, helped to entertain friends and
guests. He had every opportunity Of familiarizing
himself with the peculiar manners customs, tradi
tons and supersttions Of his hosts, for they
ever willing to impart to him all the Information
in their power and assist him in his ethnOgraphic
researches in every way possible.
Besides treating them with justice and kind
ness. he made it rule never to accept any serV
ice, however slight, without making some COM
be trifing. but the effect was magical. They were
al--men. women and children-at his beck and
call every hour of the day night.
OF the Indians of Cururii (cuara) the author
declares that they did everything to make his So
journ among them comfortable and pleasant For
a few glass beads and fshhooks they kept us lib
orally supplied with meat and drink. Fowl OF