Evening star., 1924-02-24

for me. and soon gravitated to the
earthern floor in preference.
Under the influence OF q little food
my physical strength quickly revived.
and innumerable schemes for getting
to Bellavista suggested themselves TO
my active brain. So far as / know,
my belongings were still lying out
in tho forest where Munoz had aban-
doned me. and the most essential
thing to do was to retrieve them WITH
the least possible delay.
without beads or other articles Of
very much. My knowledge OF the
language was nil, but on the principle
OF actions speaking louder than words
I gave an imitation Of four Indians
packs, with all the necessary
pantomime to indicate place and time.
etc. 1t was q very successful effort,
as two days later my possessions
were brought into the house safe and
sound, none the worse for their long
sojourn in the forest.
THE chief thing which character
l. ICED the life of these wild people
was its everlasting monotony. Ono
day was exactly like the next, seldom
did anything happen which was Of
particular interest, and the one all
important occupation was the un-
ending hunt for food. Bananas and
yuccas were cultivated near the habi-
tation, and every morning at the
entire household sailed forth with
baskets to collect what it needed to
keep body and soul together. II the
day were fine the majority OF the men
would 60 or by themselves to hunt
In the forest. and leave the women
and children to grub about the clear
ing as they pleased.
At noon every one staggered back
with a load OF something or other to
eat. and the one real meal Of the day
was prepared. In the evening the
OF what was left over from the first /;
then. as darkness descended. every
one retired to the racks Of sleep.
Now that my strength had returned
and I was able to travel, I started
overtures for continuing on my way
against a blank wall, and wisely gave
up all thought Of trying to move un-
til was on more friendly terms.
What Afforded me the most enjoy
mant was to 60 OFF when the weather
was good with one or two men and
of the forest in search OF game
The two weapons used were the
spear and the deadly blowgun; Of
the two the blowgun was possibly
the more useful, since the spear was
for killing larger animals, such as
tapirs.
The unerring accuracy with which
these man could shoot poisoned dart
from a blowgun eighty to ono hun.
dred feet away was marvellous, and
I saw them actually strike a monkey
In midair as 1t leaped from one
branch to another.
Ny constant companion nowadays
was Tehi, and his attachment was
chiefly the result Of thinking me a
great medicine-man, or the equivalent
OF it because with an aspirin tablet
I had cured his wife Of headache.
That proved a red-lettef day for me !:
not only did 1t make Tehi my faithful
ward getting on really friendly terms
with the tribe.
In my dealings with women had
to use unusual caution. The men were
extraordinarily jealous Of their wives.
and to have even smiled on one might
was not in . position to take any
chances. and during my entire So
journ in the wilds not once did I
speak to one, and even went 50 far AZ
to avoid looking at them II possible.
On the whole the women were not
bad looking, and being rather scarce
were in great demand-no matter
what their age. When all was said
and done do not think looks counted
for much in the matrimonial market /;
good health and ability to work were
probably more important. Romance
not unknown to the In
dians--seldom plays an essential part
in their relations with each other.
A man with many women to dis
pose Of is looked upon as rich, but
the one who has not any is worse
than poor, for he usually ends by
stealing one-a crime on a par with
stealing bananas, for which tho pun
ishment is death-that is to say, II
he is caught. War naturally fol-
lows.
AS might be supposed. tho chief
if not the only-oause OF all trouble
is-women.
Like. other commodities. women
sometimes become scarce, and then
they have TO be hunted for among
neighborinS tribes, resulting ih tribal
wars Of . very sanguinary nature.
Under no consideration are women
ever killed; they are far too valuable
and are carefully preserved, no mat
ter what tribe they belong to-. This
results In . wide infusion Of blood
among. the different tribes. and ac-
counts for the variety Of facial char
seteristics ssen on all Sides
= X
THE Aguarunas, In common with
= other tribes, have the habit Of
cutting on the heads Of their enemies
when dead, removing the skull and
reducing what remains to tho size OF
IN orange. preserving tho features
and tho hair - we'll that u caxo-
fully .doue, there ia nothing excenA