In one of the huts, I found an old woman groaning in her hammock.  On my drawing nearer, they uncovered the poor creature, and I perceived that all her breast was eaten up by cancer.  She seemed to have no idea of a bandage, or any means of soothing the pain.  I advised her to wash the wound frequently with a decoction of mallows, {50} and, in addition to this, to cover it over with the leaves of the same plant.  I only trust that my advice procured her some trifling relief.

This horrible disease unfortunately does not appear to be at all rare among the Puris, for I saw many of their women, some of whom had large hard swellings, and others even small tumours on the breast.

After having sufficiently examined everything in the huts, I went with some of the savages to shoot parrots and monkeys.  We had not far to go in order to meet with both; and I had now an opportunity of admiring the skill with which these people use their bows.  They brought down the birds even when they were on the wing, and very seldom missed their mark.  After shooting three parrots and an ape, we returned to the huts.

The good creatures offered me the best hut they possessed, and invited me to pass the night there.  Being rather fatigued by the toilsome nature of my journey on foot, the heat, and the hunting excursion, I very joyfully accepted their proposition:  the day, too, was drawing to a close, and I should not have been able to reach the settlement of the whites before night.  I therefore spread out my cloak upon the ground, arranged a log of wood so as to serve instead of a pillow, and for the present seated myself upon my splendid couch.  In the meanwhile, my hosts were preparing the monkey and the parrots, by sticking them on wooden spits, and roasting them before the fire.  In order to render the meal a peculiarly dainty one, they also buried some Indian corn and roots in the cinders.  They then gathered a few large fresh leaves off the trees, tore the roasted ape into several pieces with their hands, and placing a large portion of it, as well as a parrot, Indian corn, and some roots upon the leaves, put it before me.  My appetite was tremendous, seeing that I had tasted nothing since the morning.  I therefore immediately fell to on the roasted monkey, which I found superlatively delicious:  the flesh of the parrot was far from being so tender and palatable.

After our meal, I begged the Indians to perform one of their dances for me—­a request with which they readily complied.  As it was already dark, they brought a quantity of wood, which they formed into a sort of funeral pile, and set on fire:  the men then formed a circle all round, and began the dance.  They threw their bodies from side to side in a most remarkably awkward fashion, but always moving the head forwards in a straight line.  The women then joined in, remaining, however, at some little distance in the rear of the men, and making