LEGEND OF TUE
401
AMAZONS.
formed a separate h o r d e . N o t k n o w i n g any o f the t o n g u e s s p o k e n o n the O r i n o c o and t h e B i o N e g r o , I c o u l d learn n o t h i n g certain r e s p e c t i n g t h e p o p u l a r traditions o f t h e w o m e n w i t h o u t husbands, o r the origin o f the g r e e n stones, which are believed t o b e intimately c o n n e c t e d with t h e m . I shall, h o w e v e r , q u o t e a m o d e r n testimony o f s o m e w e i g h t , that o f Father Gili. " U p o n i n q u i r i n g , " says this wellinformed missionary, o f a Q u a q u a I n d i a n , what nations inhabited t h e Rio C u c h i v e r o , he n a m e d t o m e t h e A c h i r i g o t o s , the Pajuros, and t h e A i k e a m b e n a n o s . * B e i n g well a c q u a i n t e d , " pursues h e , " w i t h t h e T a m a n a c t o n g u e , I instantly c o m p r e h e n d e d the sense o f this last w o r d , which is a c o m p o u n d , and signifies ' w o m e n living alone.' T h e Indian confirmed m y observation, and related that t h e A i k e a m b e nanos w e r e a c o m m u n i t y o f w o m e n , w h o manufactured b l o w t u b e s , t a n d other w e a p o n s o f war. T h e y admit, o n c e a year, the m e n o f the n e i g h b o u r i n g nation o f V o k e a r o s i n t o their society, and send t h e m b a c k with presents. A l l the male children b o r n in this horde o f w o m e n are killed in their infancy." This history seems framed o n the traditions which circulate a m o n g the I n d i a n s o f t h e M a r a 単 o n , and a m o n g t h e C a r i b s ; y e t the Q u a q u a I n d i a n , o f w h o m F a t h e r G i l i speaks, was i g n o r a n t o f the Castilian l a n g u a g e ; he had n e v e r had any c o m m u n i c a t i o n with white m e n ; and certainly k n e w n o t , that south o f the O r i n o c o there existed a n o t h e r river, called the river o f the ' A i k e a m b e n a n o s , ' o r ' A m a z o n s . ' "What m u s t w e c o n c l u d e from this narration o f t h e old missionary o f E n c a r a m a d a ? N o t that there are A m a z o n s o n t h e banks o f t h e C u c h i v e r o , b u t that w o m e n in different parts o f A m e r i c a , wearied o f t h e state o f slavery in which they were held b y the m e n , u n i t e d themselves t o g e t h e r ; that the desire o f preserving their i n d e p e n d e n c e r e n d e r e d t h e m w a r r i o r s ; and that t h e y received visits from a n e i g h b o u r i n g and friendly h o r d e . This society o f w o m e n m a y have acquired some p o w e r in o n e part o f G u i a n a . T h e Caribs of the c o n t i n e n t held intercourse with those o f the islands: and n o d o u b t in this way the traditions o f t h e M a r a 単 o n and t h e O r i n o c o were p r o p a g a t e d t o w a r d the n o r t h . B e f o r e the * I n Italian, Acchirecolti, +
Pajuri, and Aicheam-benano.
L o n g t u b e s m a d e from a h o l l o w c a n e , which the natives use to propel
their p o i s o n e d a r r o w s .
VOL. I I .
2 D