THEIR
CANNIBAL TASTES.
415
and l a b o r i o u s ; b u t suffer t h e m t o take part in an i n c u r s i o n ( e n t r a d a ) t o b r i n g i n t h e natives, a n d y o u c a n scarcely prevent t h e m f r o m m u r d e r i n g all they m e e t , a n d hiding some p o r t i o n s o f t h e dead b o d i e s . " I n reflecting o n t h e manners o f these I n d i a n s , w e are almost horrified at that c o m b i n a t i o n o f sentiments which seem t o exclude each o t h e r ; that faculty o f nations t o b e c o m e b u t partially h u m a n i z e d ; that p r e p o n d e r a n c e o f c u s t o m s , prejudices, a n d traditions, over the natural affections o f t h e heart. W e had a fugitive I n d i a n f r o m t h e Guaisia i n o u r c a n o e , w h o h a d b e c o m e sufficiently civilized i n a f e w w e e k s t o b e useful t o u s i n placing t h e instruments necessary f o r o u r observations a t night. H e w a s n o less m i l d than intelligent, and w e h a d s o m e desire o f taking him into o u r service. W h a t was o u r h o r r o r w h e n , talking t o h i m b y m e a n s o f a n interpreter, w e learned, " that t h e flesh o f t h e m a r i m o n d e m o n k e y s , t h o u g h blacker, appeared t o him t o have the taste o f h u m a n flesh." H e t o l d us " t h a t his relations (that is, t h e p e o p l e o f his t r i b e ) preferred t h e inside o f t h e hands i n m a n , as in b e a r s . " T h i s assertion w a s a c c o m p a n i e d with gestures o f savage gratification. W e inquired o f this y o u n g man, so calm and s o affectionate i n t h e little services which h e rendered u s , w h e t h e r h e still felt s o m e t i m e s a desire t o eat o f a Cheruvichahena. H e answered, w i t h o u t d i s c o m p o s u r e , that, living in the mission, h e w o u l d o n l y eat what h e saw was eaten b y t h e Padres. R e p r o a c h e s addressed t o t h e natives o n t h e abominable practice w h i c h w e here discuss, p r o d u c e n o e f f e c t ; i t is as i f a B r a h m i n , travelling i n E u r o p e , w e r e t o reproach u s w i t h t h e habit o f feeding o n the flesh o f animals. I n t h e eyes o f t h e I n d i a n o f t h e Guaisia, the Cheruvichahcna was a b e i n g entirely different from h i m s e l f ; a n d o n e w h o m h e t h o u g h t i t w a s n o m o r e unjust t o kill than t h e j a g u a r s o f the forest. I t w a s merely from a sense o f p r o p r i e t y that, whilst h e remained i n t h e mission, h o w o u l d only e a t t h e same f o o d as t h e F a t h e r s . The natives, i f they return t o their tribe ( a l m o n t e ) , o r find themselves pressed b y h u n g e r , s o o n r e s u m e their o l d habits o f a n t h r o p o p h a g y . A n d w h y should w e b e so m u c h astonished at this i n c o n s t a n c y i n t h e t r i b e s o f t h e O r i n o c o , w h e n w e a r e r e m i n d e d , b y terrible a n d well-ascertained examples, o f w h a t has passed a m o n g civilized nations i n