LETTER LVI.
The generous Heynemann appeared much gratified by the satisfaction we expressed ourselves to have experienced in our visit at Savonette, and in our acknowledgments of the civil attentions of his deputy, Vandyke. He was particularly pleased at the interest which he said I seemed to take “respecting every object, and every circumstance in this remote part of the world,” and so devoted himself to the means of indulging me, that I was compelled peremptorily to arrest the liberal hand with which he would have bestowed multiplied marks of his favor—to the injury, and almost the extinction of his own collection. At first I had freely pronounced my admiration of such things as were calculated to call it forth, but I soon discovered, that to admire what I saw was to tax his liberality; for if he only heard me breathe approval, or but perceived, by my eye, that I liked any specimen, it was instantly mine. He gave me samples of various gums, nuts, and woods employed in medicine by the Indians, also crystals, bows and arrows, Indian paddles, musical instruments, instruments of war, implements of household furniture, used by the Bucks, and a variety of other curiosities: indeed, if I could have persuaded myself to have taken all that he offered me, I might have fitted up a small museum; but I could not reconcile the idea of trespassing upon such kindness, and therefore positively refused many specimens of which I observed that he had no duplicates, and which I felt it possible he might afterwards lament. He was equally liberal in all his attentions, and seemed desirous to explain to me whatever I wished to ask. You will believe that I had less reserve in my questions, than in the acceptance of his offerings, and that I was happy to call forth the observations and remarks derived from his long and familiar intercourse with the Indians. At his present abode, and at Savonette he had resided, during many years, in the appointment of post-holder, having constant intercourse with the Indians, and forming the connecting link between them and the colonists.
It was the policy of the Dutch government to expend a certain sum annually in the purchase of blue cloth, beads, ribands, hatchets, and other implements, and ornaments to give to the Indians; and it was made the duty of the person placed at the most remote estate of the colony, to associate with them, and to cultivate their friendship, in order to prevent acts of hostility on their part, and to secure to the colonists the peaceable possession of the territory which they had appropriated. Hence, from situation and appointment, as well as from natural disposition, abundant opportunities had offered to M. Heynemann of intermixing freely with the Indians, and observing their most retired, as well as their more exterior habits. Possessed of enterprising talents, and a certain hardihood of mind and frame, together with affable and conciliatory manners, he was peculiarly qualified for the trust which had been so long confided to him. He associated with the Bucks, adopted their customs, insinuated himself into their good opinion, and became so entirely one of themselves, that at Savonette they elected him their chief or king; and he could, at any time, assemble them in a body of several hundreds, in military array, and appear as captain at their head.
This was a novelty which he offered to exhibit to us, if we would consent to prolong our visit, or would repeat it, giving him only a few days notice of our coming. I regretted extremely that it could not be in my power to accept either of these proposals. It was a high compliment offered to us, and what I should have particularly enjoyed; but I had only a short time to remain at Berbische, and dared not hope for another long absence.
M. Heynemann is a person of great zeal, activity and exertion. With considerable penetration, he possesses much of perseverance, but, from the want of a liberal education, his observations, though valuable, are loose and undigested—devoid of arrangement and scientific correctness; and evidently not the result of any systematic train of inquiry. Governed by chance, and with no specific object in view, his pursuits and remarks are not so conducted as to promote, essentially, the advancement of natural science; but, a man of high literary acquirements would be less fitted perhaps for the post which M. Heynemann has so long filled with credit to himself, and advantage to the colony. I should have been much gratified to have prolonged our visit, and with regret bade adieu to this generous chief of the naked tribes.
Although, from my short stay among them, you cannot expect an elaborate disquisition upon the subject of the native possessors of these extensive forests, you will demand a passing word on such prominent points, concerning them, as more immediately strike the eye. I may therefore tell you that the Indians who inhabit this part of the South American coast are of four tribes or nations, the Arrouwacs, the Accawaus, the Warrous, and the Charibbees. The Charibbees, or Charibs, as they are more frequently called, are the tallest men, and of the most warlike aspect. Those we have seen of the other tribes are rather short, but in general well formed; although their figure denotes more of substance than of gracefulness. They are of a bright bay colour, their hair jet black, long, and straight. In common they are rather personable, and their features are more indicative of mildness than ferocity; for, although in some of them the lines of the Tartar face may be traced, the character more generally denoted by the countenance is that of gentleness and tranquillity. The eyes are very black, they are small, distant from each other, and deep in the orbits. The cheek-bones stand a little wide, but they are not strongly prominent; the forehead tends to squareness of form, and the eyebrows are heavy. The nose, though not decidedly aquiline, when viewed in profile somewhat approaches that shape; the mouth is of middle size; the lips of moderate thickness; the teeth small, white and regular; the chin round; the angles of the lower jaw somewhat wide: from all which you will perceive that the face is rather broad than round, although the contour approaches more to the circular than the long or oval. We did not observe among them any resemblance of the flat nose, the wide mouth, thick lips, or large teeth of the negroes.
Their necks are thick, and for the most part not sufficiently long to be graceful. The chest is high and full; the shoulders square, going off at nearly right angles from the neck. The limbs are fleshy and robust. Upon the whole, they may be said to be of the figure usually denominated square-made, and consequently their form denotes more of strength, than of gracefulness or agility. Still there is a difference between them and the strong-marked muscular subjects of colder and more mountainous regions. Among the Indians of Guiana, the rough lines denoting strength are concealed in consequence of the interstices between the muscles being so filled with fat as to give a general smoothness to the surface; and from the same cause, the fine action of the different muscles becomes less obvious, when they are in motion, or under any exertion. Hence, although an Indian be square, full, and robust, still his appearance does not convey precisely that idea of strength which attaches to the rough and muscular frames of the North; and yet his form is more unlike that of the negroes.
It has happened to me to have frequent opportunities of seeing parties of Indians, and of Africans standing naked together, and I have always remarked a striking distinction in their persons. The negroes have longer necks, and a finer fall of the shoulder. Their chest is not so full and open. The limbs are not so stout, but thinner, and longer in proportion to the body. The form of the Indians appears close and compact, while that of the negroes is more loose and slender, and more indicative of the languor arising from the heat of climate. The projecting curvature of the tibia, so common to the Africans, does not prevail among the Indians. The difference of countenance is still more remarkable than the difference of form; but, as the negro face is familiar to you, I need not enter into a more minute detail of the discordant features.
The Indians wear no clothing, except a band tied round the waist and brought between the legs to fasten before; such as I have mentioned to be in use among the negroes of these colonies. This is worn both by the men and women. Some, who have visited the colonists, have it made of blue cloth: but those who have not had the same opportunities of procuring cloth, make it of the bark of a tree. Sometimes, instead of this band, the women use a small apron about three or four inches square, which being tied round the waist, and left to hang loose before, serves by way of a fig-leaf. These aprons they call kways. Among those who have associated with the colonists, the kway is occasionally made of small beads of different colours, ingeniously put on threads of cotton, or of the silk-grass, so as to give the apron the appearance of being woven in a variety of figures. This is used as high dress, and is much valued. It happened that I, one day, met a young buckeen, thus ornamented, walking with her mother, and, being desirous to add a sample of the kway to my collection of specimens, I made signs to the parent, meaning to ask if she could procure me one; when, without the slightest hesitation, she took off that which was before my eyes, and presented it to me: the young lady very modestly, but without blushes, supplying its place with the pocket-handkerchief which I gave her in exchange.