. The land of Bolivar; or, War, peace, and adventure in the Republic of Venezuela . d as English aldermen,for they presented me with an address couched inmost flowery language, and which gave me morepleasure than those who are accustomed to receivesuch-like attentions usually experience; nor was mygratification less from not understanding a word of spokesmen of the tribe—the only professionalclass they have—exercise the functions of priests,jugglers, and physicians, a combination that mightseem to have an element of the sarcastic, if we didnot know how destitute of humour the Indians ar
. The land of Bolivar; or, War, peace, and adventure in the Republic of Venezuela . d as English aldermen,for they presented me with an address couched inmost flowery language, and which gave me morepleasure than those who are accustomed to receivesuch-like attentions usually experience; nor was mygratification less from not understanding a word of spokesmen of the tribe—the only professionalclass they have—exercise the functions of priests,jugglers, and physicians, a combination that mightseem to have an element of the sarcastic, if we didnot know how destitute of humour the Indians reminded me of some red-skins whom I met inthe vicinity of the river Colorado, in Arizona. On oneoccasion, surely an epoch in their history, they sawthe point of a joke. A brave and his squaw brought Cliap. v.] INDIANS. 91 some firewood to my camp, and as they wanted tocharge twice its value, the purchase was were greatly enraged, and after loud maledic-tions, deliberately burned it. Some days after, theyappeared again, this time with a bundle of hay for. GKOrP OF CARIBE INDIANS. sale. To convince them of the error of their ways,about half its value was offered. On their declinina;this abatement, I took a match from my pocket, andsuggested that they should make a bonfire of the hayalso. A roar of lauohter inextinguishable burst 92 THE LAND OF BOLIVAR. [Chap. v. from the pair as the fun penetrated their hard was with difficulty they were induced to take anypayment at all for the hay ! Like most other native tribes on the western con-tinent, the Caribes are gradually disappearing beforethe influences of the white man. Bowino- beforethe irresistible power of the spirituous sword ofannihilation, falsely termed, in too many instances,civilization, they become less barbarous as their num-bers diminish. According to their own accounts,however, they are still the largest of all the Orinocotribes. The rapacity and cruelty of the early Spanishadventurers
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