304. But however much I might be attracted by this simplicity of an Indian household, I was all the more powerfully repelled on the other hand by the ghastly filth and uncleanliness that reigned over the whole settlement, and completely confirmed the reproach generally made in the colony about the dirtiness of the Warrau, whose uncleanliness has become proverbial and where “As dirty as a Warrau” expresses its superlative degree of comparison. The more unpromising and dirtier however the inside of the houses, the sweeter and brighter did their immediate environs smile on me. A real forest of Musa paradisiaca and M. sapientum Linn., Manihot utilissima Pohl (Janipba Manihot H.B.), Ananas edulis, Capsicum, and Carica Papaya Linn, with their yellow melon-like fruits regularly enveloped the settlement, while beaten paths from the village led in all directions through these thick masses of green into the equally dense forest which chiefly consisted of Laurineae, Legumiosae, Meliaceae, Rhixoboleae, etc., these in turn hemming in the flourishing provision fields.
305. Among the twelve houses two were especially conspicuous by reason of their larger dimensions on which account one found favour in our eyes and was chosen for our quarters. As the need of drinkable water was fairly urgent, but not a single villager was to be seen, we had to despatch a messenger to the Atopani, a small stream not too far off on the bank of which was situate a second settlement where lived the chief of the lower Aruka Warraus: word was sent to inform him of our arrival and to ask for his company and assistance in regard to our wants. We occupied the interval in arranging our airy dwelling as comfortably as we could, our example being followed by the boat’s crew in another house.
306. I was still busily engaged with the unloading of our boat and transport of the baggage tip to the village, when a given signal from Mr King called me up from the bank to the settlement where, as soon as I reached the top, the cause of the call explained itself. Several Indians, led by chief William carrying in his hand the staff of office, the symbol of his authority, had just arrived and taken up their places in front of our quarters. This staff as I subsequently learned is to be found only among the coastal tribes standing in closer relations with Georgetown, the chieftain receiving it as a present from the Governor. After Mr King, who at least was somewhat conversant with the Warrau language, had presented me, and the first salutation ceremonies consisting of a shake of the hand and the exclamation “Matte” (Mate, Matey) had been concluded, the savage wished to make me understand that I was welcome, and then immediately changed the subject to the one dearest his heart by asking my introducer whether we had “Sopi” (spirits) with us. As his readiness to help and assist particularly depended upon a satisfactory reply to this question we had to humour him : this was followed with the best results, for hardly had the Indians emptied their glasses than he sent one of them away for some drinking water.
307. Chief William was of small thick-set stature, clothed in an old torn striped shirt, while his subordinates wore but a coloured apron around their loins. We learnt from him that the residents of Cumaka had gone into the forest to build corials. When Mr King told him that more strangers would be following in a few days he expressed himself as uncommonly glad, and assured us that they were all welcome.
308. Our things were now for the first time subjected to the closest scrutiny, and question followed after question, every single one closing with the refrain “Have you got much spirits with you?” to which the sight of the barrels with salted meat and the like may have prompted them. The fancy picture I had painted of an Indian settlement was certainly not realised here among these villagers, whose dirt and noticeable but futile craving for liquor entirely corresponded with those of the isolated individuals whom I had already had occasion to notice in Georgetown. The infinite delight and pleasure that Nature had granted me on the one hand in a much more superabundant measure than I had expected, I felt doubly or trebly minimised in connection with these people. After satisfying his curiosity, and on his departure asking for another glass of spirits, the chief left us with the promise to return on the following morning.
309. The unloading and fixing up of our things were soon completed, the latter not robbing us of much time, it being only necessary to follow the hint unconsciously given us by the Indians in the arrangements of their households, and now content and self-satisfied we gazed upon our work. It was yet with feelings of greater hankering and gratification that we gazed upon that of our busy and always smiling negro, Hamlet, wet with perspiration, who during our labours had lighted a thoroughly good fire on which he had placed the requisite number of pots as became his business of duly-appointed cook. The fellow had just returned with a supply of roots and vegetables appropriated from the provision fields with a view to serving up the very daintiest of dishes with the ample means now at his disposal. Ever since leaving Demerara I had never seen his black face beaming so happily: he was very lucky, with nothing to worry over, but only to pick and choose : he was surrounded on all sides with abundance and his conscience was easy : any scruples about mine and thine did not seem to overburden him. What his joyful sparkling eyes and his widely smirking mouth gave promise of, was soon performed, for out of the spoil of birds that had been shot, and the yams and Carica papaya, etc, purloined, he prepared an excellent meal to which the whole company did full justice: we several times wished that the poor fellows who had been left behind on the sandbank could have partaken of it.
310. After Hamlet had bravely taken every care that not the slightest morsel should be left, we jumped into our hammocks to learn now what it was like to sleep in an Indian settlement.
311. The sun had just risen when I awoke but thought I was still dreaming. Was I lying in one of the dirty Warrau houses on the Aruka or had I been transported during my deep deathlike sleep to one of the fairy gardens of the Thousand and One Nights ? Thousands of voices in the most varied cadences fell upon my ear, died away in the far distance and neared again, became blurred in one another and then became distinguishable once more. Momentary silence followed a shrill outburst of the united singers, to be now interrupted by an initial chirp and buzz at first hardly perceptible that gradually became louder and louder until it burst forth in truly joyful wantonness. Just as my ears had listened in wonder at the notes, so did my gaze feast with real delight on the environs of the village lit up with the virgin sunbeans whence thousands upon thousands of dew-drops glistening at me like diamonds, finally found their ruin in the vital power and energy that was displayed by the Heliconiae, Musaceae, Marantaceae and Uraniae overladen with blossoms. The eye that was yet admiring the flower a moment before saw a topaz swaying over it during the next without being able to account for its presence, until as quick as thought, it trembled and twinkled over the floral finery at another spot. On turning my more than satisfied look elsewhere to another tree, the same illusory and rapturous performance was being repeated: here they fell upon a lovely ruby, there a glowing drop of gold or the thousand-fold reflecting sapphire, until finally all these twinkling, flying, fire-specks joined to form a most beautiful garland, but suddenly separating again, started their previous puzzling performance.
312. As for the humming-birds, though I had often in Demerara watched the lightning flight of these lovely creatures and amused myself for hours at a time with their restless activities, when like evening revellers (Sphinx) they momentarily swayed over the blossoms of the plants and trees to suck the honey and suddenly disappeared only to emerge elsewhere, or when, like glowing sparks, on starting to quarrel and fight they crossed the air from all sides and directions in thousands of turns-I had never hitherto seen so great an assemblage of them in so small an area. In this swarm the Trochilus mellivorus Linn,, T campylopterus Linn., T moschatus Linn., T furcatus Linn., the tiny pretty T pygmaeus Spix., T Mango Linn., and T petasophorus Pr Max were particularly noticeable. Diminutive and beautiful as these birds are, the different species are nevertheless equally as quarrelsome amongst themselves. On dissection I found plenty of small insects in their crops.
313. And still the enchanting early morning life had not yet reached its close. I soon recognised in the distance the squalling notes that were gradually approaching-thousands of shrieking parrots were flying over the environs of the village to some place or other that they knew of with plenty of food: the Psittacus aestivtis Linn, opened the ball, while the pretty little Psittacus nuchalis and P melanocephalus Linn, were already settled on the trees of the provision fields.
314. I did not stay any longer in my hammock: with a good jump I was out of my swing-bed, and quickly seizing a weapon the next few minutes found me already strolling around the outskirts of the settlement. The virgin forest joined close on to the provision grounds. The small beaten path that I followed soon led me to a second clear space, the cassava field of the residents: this might have enclosed about three acres and consisted of a most flourishing growth of Manihot utilissima Pohl, which, although planted irregularly and without order, reached in general a height of 6 to 8 feet. Here and there the Dioscorea bulbifera Linn., D. sativa Linn., as well as Convolvulus Batatas Linn, and Pine-apple crept into, and hemmed in this forest of Manihot which amongst all Indians takes the place of our cereals. The root, a tuberous growth, contains when fresh a pungent juice containing Prussic acid which nevertheless, after grating and pounding, is separated under strong pressure. The Indians also cultivate the Dioscorea and Convolvulus Batatas on account of their abundant starchy contents.
315. Although the attention paid to such fields is not exactly of the best, their growth had collectively reached a perfection that surprised me. Sugar-cane and maize were in plenty, and the Pine-apple, taken on the whole, especially here, vindicated its name of “Queen of Tropical Fruits.” We were subsequently brought some that weighed from ten to twelve pounds and were as remarkable for their juiciness as for their fragrance.
316. The soil consisted of a fatty clay mixed with ochre, rotted timber and ashes, because on laying out a field the trees are every time felled and burnt. The largest giants that the fire cannot destroy remain lying where they are felled and become disintegrated in time. Rambling through such a field is therefore far from being a pleasant promenade, because one must be climbing continually over one tree trunk after another if one does not want to proceed in a perpetually serpentine course.
