Personal narrative of travels to the equinoctial regions of America. Volume 2

Page 160

448

FESTIVITIES

OF THE SAVAGES. of the juvias.

a c c o m p a n i e d t h e I n d i a n t o the festival harvest o f juvias, celebrated tion.

by dancing,

and b y excesses

by

of wild

intoxica-

T h e h u t where t h e natives were assembled, displayed

d u r i n g several d a y s a very s i n g u l a r a s p e c t . table

nor b e n c h ;

smoke,

but

large

roasted

T h e r e w a s neither

monkeys,

blackened

ranged in r e g u l a r o r d e r a g a i n s t t h e w a l l .

were

T h e s e w e r e t h e marimondes ( A t e l e s

belzebuth), and those

b e a r d e d m o n k e y s called c a p u c h i n s , which

must

n o t be con-

f o u n d e d w i t h t h e w e e p e r , o r sai ( S i m i a c a p u c i n a o f The

The

or fruits o f t h e B e r t h o l l e t i a e x c e l s a , * w a s

manner

of roasting

these

contributes to render their appearance a b l e in the e y e s o f civilized m a n . o f very hard w o o d ground.

extremely

animals disagree-

A little g r a t i n g o r lattice

is f o r m e d , a n d raised

The monkey

Buffon).

anthropomorphous

o n e foot from t h e

is s k i n n e d , a n d b e n t

into a sitting

p o s t u r e ; t h e head g e n e r a l l y r e s t i n g on t h e a r m s , w h i c h a r e meagre

and l o n g ;

b u t s o m e t i m e s t h e s e are c r o s s e d

t h e back.

W h e n it is tied on t h e g r a t i n g ,

is

below.

kindled

T h e monkey,

behind

a very clear fire

enveloped

in s m o k e a n d

flame, is broiled and b l a c k e n e d a t t h e s a m e t i m e .

O n seeing

t h e natives d e v o u r t h e a r m o r l e g o f a r o a s t e d m o n k e y , i t is difficult

n o t t o believe that this habit

closely r e s e m b l i n g t o a certain cannibalism ticularly

degree, contributed among

those

o f eating animals so

m a n in t h e i r physical these

which

people.

have

organization, has,

t o diminish

very

Roasted round

t h e horror o f monkeys,

heads,

h i d e o u s r e s e m b l a n c e to a c h i l d ; a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y w h o are o b l i g e d to feed

on t h e m

and t h e h a n d s , and serve

par-

display

a

Europeans

prefer s e p a r a t i n g

t h e head

up o n l y t h e rest o f t h e a n i m a l at

their tables.

T h e flesh o f m o n k e y s is so lean a n d d r y , that

M.

has preserved

Bonpland

arm

and

hand,

Esmeralda;

which

in his c o l l e c t i o n s

had been

a n d n o smell

broiled

has arisen

from

at

over

Paris a n

the

them

fire at

after t h e

lapse of a great n u m b e r o f years. W e saw t h e I n d i a n s d a n c e . is

increased

by t h e w o m e n

T h e m o n o t o n y of their dancing not d a r i n g t o t a k e p a r t in i t .

T h e m e n . y o u n g and o l d , form a circle, h o l d i n g each o t h e r s ' hands; left,

a n d turn

for whole

sometimes

h o u r s , with

to t h e right, s o m e t i m e s

silent gravity.

* The Brazil nut.

Most

t o the

frequently


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