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National Geographic : 1920 Sep
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KAIETEUR AND RORAIMA ward the settlement of Saveritik, near the Chimepir Creek, at the border. On one of these days, after seven hours of hard work, progress of only five miles had been made. But it was the psychological effect of the whole combination of circumstances fatigue, wet clothing and body, and the strain of the senses-that seemed to me most trying. The jungles of the tropics were no novelty, for I had made several journeys of exploration in the islands of Polynesia, but nowhere else have I ex perienced that deadened sensation, as though the personality of thought had been completely crushed and the body had become a mere automatic machine. One comes to understand why the peo ple of the region have a saying to the effect that a person lost in the bush for only a day and subsequently discovered "leaves his mind behind him." So the camps for the night and the noonday halts were made at the waters of the Tururaparu, Wung, Murepang, Uliparu, and Kopinanang, streams that were crossed at right angles, as they flowed northward into the Potaro or southward from the Kamana Mountain divide. At the Kopinanang, and from that to the Guiana shore of the Ireng River, Indian settlements of one or two huts were found and many interesting incidents befell. THE CASSAVA CEREMONY OF HOSPITALITY In one village I participated in the cassava ceremony of hospitality. When a strange party comes to a hut or settle ment, the home of the head-man is sought at once, burdens are set down, and the host grunts in alternation to disjointed statements by the newcomer relating to his journey. Then the host becomes the speaker, and the stranger grunts his comments, conveying many shades of meaning by inflections and tones. Cakes of cassava are ordered out, to gether with a "buck-pot," or clay bowl filled with pepper infusions; the visitors in turn dip a fragment of bread in the pepper, eat it, and then general conversa tion is in order. A sure indication of the degree of friendliness is afforded by the promptitude with which the ceremonial is or-'ered. At length the head of the Chimepir was reached, and the vision ranged out over the dense canopy of the forest tops to the cloud-filled valley of the Ireng River, a northern branch of the Amazon system, which separates Guiana and Brazil. A day later we reached the three huts of Saveritik, now situated on the river itself. Natives from other places up and down the stream flocked to my camp and seated themselves in rows to observe every act and movement of the stranger in their midst. While I was averse to parting with the "barter,"-beads, powder and shot, and cloth-wishing to conserve the goods for use beyond, they made me small "presents" of food and baskets, for which I was forced to bestow "gifts" in return. This place remains memorable because here a critical decision had to be made, fortunately without a disastrous outcome. The hard and slow traveling across coun try had cut down time and supplies to an unsafe degree; not enough of the latter remained to support the party during the journey to Roraima and back to this point, even under the most favorable con ditions. Either I would cross into Brazil, ex plore the savannas, and return without attempting the journey to the famous mountain, or else, with insufficient food, I would start for Roraima, hoping to ob tain some supplies from Indians at some point. The second alternative was finally chosen. A few bucks were detached, while others were sent back to Chena powu for some of the food left there, to await our return to Saveritik. Finally, with the bearers reduced to seventeen, the passage of the Ireng was made in very doubtful "corials," and I set foot on the soil of Brazil-the land which pos sesses so great a charm and lure for the naturalist. A full half day was required for the toilsome climb of 1,500 feet through the forests covering what is, so to speak, the huge beveled edge of this part of Brazil. Then, at a point midway between Mt. Elidik and Achimatipu, we emerged upon the wide grassy savannas, bpen and sun drenched, one sight of which revived and 237
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