Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-20
FOUND--A LOST PARADISE
(Dy Garrett r. servfss.

The legend of an original Paradise
on this earth. from which man got
himself excluded by his own grecdi-
ness. turns up in n new and extremely
charming form in the stories collected
by DIR. w. c. Farabce. of the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania. among the Wal
Wal Indians. whom he found dwelling
in the Tumac- Humac range of noun
tains. on the border between Brazil
and the Guianas. and go remote from
civilization that they knew nothing OF
white men.
DIR. Farabce believes that these In
dams the descendants of the Ca
ribs and Arowaks whom the Spaniards
encountered along the coast 400 years
ago. They are exceedingly simple in
their ways and tastes. and physically
very handsome representatives of the
human species, almost good enough In
that regard. according to DIR. Farabees
description, TO inhabit a new Garden
OF Eden.
They have no jewelry and no metals.
and wear no more clothes than neces-
sary. But they do make cloaks. aprons,
headdresscs. etc. Of home-woven cloth.
interviewed with the bright-colorcd
feathers of gorgeous macaw birds
which excites the admiration OF the
civilized visitor by their novelty and
beauty. The women are described as
resembling statues Of polished bronze,
OF magnificent proportions. while the
men are we'll made and intelligent
looking.
II. as DR.. Farabec thinks these Wal
Wal Indians. with the surrounding
tribes, who resemble them in manners
and appearance, represent a union of
the remains OF the ancient Caribs and
Arowaks, then the peacable character
wi w haf tta
OF the Span!ards. had been sadly ha-
raised by the warlike Caribs. has pre-
vailed in the blending. There are no
wars among them now. They live on
vegetables, fruit and game, grind cas-
sava with roughly hewed granite boul-
derS and obtain fire with sparks from
stricken stones.
Spring is their mating time, is with
birds. and then they put on their bril-
liant garments. cleaning with the
most exquisite hues OF scarlet, yellow
and blue. and dance the "masheka,"
or peanut vine dance" An imitation
Of this dance was long ago produced
in Brazil. being picked up from the
Indian tribes and carried down the
Amazon. and this was the origin of
the -"MaxiNie." dance which came to
America through Paris. In the place
where 1t was invented this dance is
rite of the mating season. as symbol
cal as the bacchic dances of the an
cient Greeks.
Those great mystery stories of uni
versal humanity. the legends Of
Paradise and Deluge. have been
found again by DIR. Farahee In this al
most inaccessible part Of the world.
The Paradise story, as told by the
Wai-Wais is In some respects more
pleasing than the Hebrew account
used by Milton in his Paradise Lost"
In the beginning, ii says. the god Du-
wild, having made men and women
continued to feed them with his own
hands bringing them every day abund-
ance of fruit and vegetables.
In their idleness. the men and wo-
men found nothing more interesting
to do than to watch the other ami
mails. Thus they discovered that these
animals went off somewhere every
morning and returned at night. Led
by curiosity. they followed and found
great tree which shed every day
from it's branches both fruits and vege-
tables. on which the animals fed.
Here" they said, "is where Duwid
gets our food. Henceforth let us come
and help ourselves. Then we shall
not have to thank him for it,"
Accordingly, they told Duwid that
he need not take the trouble to bring
them food any longer, for they had
found out whore TO get 1t for them
selves.
Very WE'LL" said the god. but here