c H ap. ful, efpecially when, theyfuppofe,, they are injured
^ x^ ’ , without juft provocation. .
: The. only vices with which to my knowledge they are
• acquainted, jf feehramongft them-they may he called» are
exceflive. drinkings when opportunity offers, .and an un-
i.accountable indolence: an Indian’s only occupation,when
he is not hunting or filhing, being to lounge in his. hammock,
picking his teeth,: plucking - the hairs from, his
heard» examining his face ip a bit of broken .looking-
glafs, 8cc.
The Indians in general are a very-cleanly people, bath-
. ing twice or thrice every day in the river, or the lea.
They have all thick hair, which never turns grey,, and
the head never becomes bald,; both fexes pluck, out
every veftige of hair on their bodies, that on the. head
only excepted: it is of a fhining black, whh?h. the men
wear Ihort, but the women very long, hanging oyer'the
back and ihoulders to their middle ; as ;if . th ey . had
ftudied the fcriptures, where it is faid that long hairis. ah
ornament to a woman, but a difgrace to a roan..
The Guiana Indians are neither tall, ftrong, npr muf-
cular: but they are ftraight, a£live, and generally in
a good ftate of health. Their faces have no expref-
fion whatever; that of a . placid good-nature, and content
excepted; and their features are. beautifully regular,
with fmall -black eyes, thin lips, and very white
teeth. However, all the Guiana Indians disfigure them-
ielves. more or lefs by the ufe of arnotta or rocow, by
them
then|| •called <cojó'isöi$ë!j . and by the Dutch orleari. The C H
$fpjpSP oft the l aSrnótta-' being macerated- in .the juice of , *
demon^' and miked^With water; Aand gum that’ exudes
'-from. • the i'rfiawna ft-ree» or withr thtetoif of caftor, com-
' rT^cs’ a fcaiièt' paint, with which- all the Indians anoint
'fhè-ifttbê'dfes^ "arid the^. then their hair,i which gives
'their -Ikiu-the appearance of :a boiled lóbfter; they alfo
rub thfeir naked bodies with car aka .Or^rah-oiL ’ This, it
m'uft ~ be i MloWed; *is/extrefiaely ufeful d m fcor’ching d ir-
m l&es9* wherehfhe inhabitants* ®f -both fexesvgo -almoft
■nakéchh One’dly; laughing at-a young man who.'cam©
fröhi the neighbourhood ‘of K (My Chile;'' he^anCWjCred
me irïfErteE^iy'faying, u My fkin; fir, isrkep'f' loft,*' too
“ ^réfai'1 perforation is prevented, and :thè mufqu&toes do
^‘hdï'ftihg me'as^fttiey dö yöü: 'beftdtes:'i5|l heality,v this
is^thdufe^of my paihting'rèd. Moiv-wiiat ikthè-rea-
fton 6ft your painting wlii-td? & [meaning powder'in the
'h^i'lff'Ythrare, without any yèafdn, waiftin^ your' flour,
“ dirtyiï^gyéur coat, and making:yhurfeif look gfêy he-
ftcftë* ybtir ü me
Thefe* Indians alio* make u^e oft1 3* deep purple blue,
which they call tapowripa; b u r t l i s ^ l purely for or-
r'ihdr is abfolüteïy indelible for about nine
days. It is th e jilic e o f a fruit in fize like *a fmall apple
t l ^ t !§iH^s5''èE.thei!(m?«<3r tree; ancl -w h ich ^ bruifed and
macerated in Water; “With ihis'tftefé' people make’’figures
on their facès-, and all over their bodies, -'refembling hie-
foglyphicks,’ like fhofe that weré a féw yeafs fince called
’ Vol. I. 3 D a la