I 9° 1
mother. The Indian gavéusto onderstand that this little sapajou
was brought up b j his wife and daughter, who always took it with
them, and it was remarkably attached to them, therefore he would
not sell it at any price. During this, discourse, the daughter seemed
much agitated, and l
that, I was determined • to take the .little sapajou, yet that I.left it to
her choice if she would J t ó ï s e go.with me ; but thinking that shc
had already suffered too much, and to which, most likely, she. Was
very little accustomed, I made a sign to the father to take away
the sapajou again,Jand then for the-first time the M a n lassheld
her head up, and recompensed me by an expression of grateful
satisfaction, beaming from a pair of very fine eyes.:
We went to a second Indian village, which was situated on a rising
spot of ground ; but the most remarkable object we saw there
was an improved method of building, and perhaps it was the best
Indian house in the whole colony o f Surinam. It was built on a
much larger scale than any of the other Indian habitations ; :each
side was formed of thé palisade-trec, and the house was a considerable
heighth, and had a loft, which is quite unusual, in other
Indian houses, to which led. a ladder,: made like those used in
Europe, and in going up we/ound several large mats; which were
plaited in the same manner as the. packall baskets, and many
Indian water jugs much neater made than any we had seen before.
We were now desirous of becoming acquainted with the industrious
owner of this place; and found him to be one of the Indian chiefs,
or, as they are styled here, captains, who had. by the assistance of.
the Indians of the village built this house. He knew the Dutch
language, having lfved many years with a Dutch planter at Ber-
bice ; hub disagreeing with him at last, the Indian preférred returning
to the woods of Guiana again, and to his own native tribe.
Yet hie was not unmindful-of the improvements he had learnt, as
that Indian was of whom the Abbé Raynal has given an account.
; c 9 m j
Do no# think .that l^favour the Indians ; for not only Mr S—hy—s,
but M Mr. B ^ g h - e n and-Mr. S -g o ; the two directors from
Blueberg, and W o r la ly 'J a c ^ who were in ota company, were
highly pleased- with The improvements-which they’ saw hbre; and
calledit an Indian houste of two Tories high.. Besides;, as this village
is so near th e -J ew s - Savannah,'-lying upon the next- creek s it,' it
can-be very easily visited by arty 'Europeans residing at Paramaribo, '
and they may find, that, instead of exaggerating, I h;avëfspokhn less
favourably’of this house than it really merits, wben.compared with
the other buildings which the Indians erect in this country. ;
The Indians who are mentioned in this-i letter all belong to the
Arrawoukes nation, who* are in «every respect the best among
the different tribés that have-settled in this paihvbf Gtiiana. The
Arrawoukes were never known to be guilty of the horrid custom of
killing their prisoners and devouring them, as is related o f the Ca-
rifes, with whom they ^re^ftçnriuEostilities ;. and gentlemenwho
have had the best opportunities of getting information,of the disposition
-and habits of these* people, have assured me that they, are
not addicted to a crime which the AhhéRaynal has changed tipon all
the Indian nations,without any exception ; the Arrawoukes cannot,
without injustice, even be suspected o f this, as they are far from
a State b f bridal-sameness, and still further from a degenerated
stagë bf civilization; they therefore are not so abominable as to be
addicted to the most disgusting o f all via®. $
The greatest fault of the Arrawoukes; seems to be an inordinate-
fondness for strong liquors, though they generally, drink water,,
and usé spirits ibhly at public festivals when they come
to Paramaribo, the greatest.part of what th e* se*L w exchanged
for rum, in which- they then indulge theh^ebfe^sp M a s - t© become
completely intoxicated; but even* then it happens that
some among them are quite sober, and -take charge of their
inebriated brethren so- that it seem5 either theFe are SQîne