LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| PLATE NO. | FACING PAGE | |
| Boro Medicine Man, with my Rifle | [Frontispiece] | |
| I. | Houses in the “Rubber Belt” of the Issa Valley | [4] |
| II. | A House in the “Rubber Belt,” Issa Valley | [16] |
| III. | 1. Typical River View below the Mouth of the Negro River 2. Bank of Main Amazon Stream in the Vicinity of the Mouth of the Japura River | [18] |
| IV. | 1. River View on Main Stream near Issa River 2. Landscape on Upper Amazon Main Stream | [20] |
| V. | The Bulge-stemmed Palm, Iriartea Venticosa, showing portion of Leaf and Fruit | [28] |
| VI. | Flowers and Section of Leaf of the Bussu Palm. The Leaf is used for Thatching | [44] |
| VII. | 1. Self, with Nonuya Tribe 2. Muenane Tribe | [46] |
| VIII. | 1. Group of Witoto 2. Group of Some of my Carriers | [70] |
| IX. | Medicine Man and his Wife (Andoke) | [72] |
| X. | Boro Tribesmen | [74] |
| XI. | Witoto Feather Head-dresses | [76] |
| XII. | Groups of Resigero Women | [78] |
| XIII. | Centre of Dancing Group—Muenane | [80] |
| XIV. | Boro Comb of Palm Spines set in Pitch and finished with Basketwork of Split Cane, Fibre Strings, and Tufts of Parrots’ Feathers | [78] |
| XV. | 1. Dukaiya (Okaina) Bead Dancing-girdle 2. Condor Claws, used by Andoke Medicine Man of the Upper Japura River | [80] |
| XVI. | Necklaces of Human and Tiger Teeth | [82] |
| XVII. | 1. Necklace of Polished Nutshells. 2. Leg Rattles of Beads and Nutshells. 3, 4, 5, and 6. Bead Necklaces. The Black “Beads” are Bits of Polished Nutshell, threaded between White Beads | [82] |
| XVIII. | Boro Ligatures | [84] |
| XIX. | Boro Leg and Arm Ligatures. Witoto Leg Ligature | [84] |
| XX. | 1 and 3, Boro. 2, Witoto, Ligatures | [86] |
| XXI. | Andoke Girls | [88] |
| XXII. | Witoto Baskets of Split Cane and Fibre | [90] |
| XXIII. | Boro Necklace of Jaguars’ Teeth with Incised Patterns Necklace of Jaguar Teeth, Incised, and Flute made of Human Bone | [92] |
| XXIV. | Boro Cassava-squeezer. (A) Loop at End | [96] |
| XXV. | 1. Okaina Group 2. Group of Okaina Women | [98] |
| XXVI. | 1. Indian Plantation cleared by Fire preparatory to Cultivation 2. View on Affluent of the Kahuinari River | [102] |
| XXVII. | Erythroxylon-Coca | [106] |
| XXVIII. | 1 and 2. Andoke Bamboo Cases with Darts and Cotton. 3. Dart with Cotton attached. 4. Blow-pipe with Dart. 5. Javelin. 6. Fishing Trident. 7. Spears in Bamboo Case. 8. Dance Staff | [108] |
| XXIX. | Andoke Bamboo Case with Darts for Blow-pipe and Gourd full of Cotton | [110] |
| XXX. | 1. Water Jar, Menimehe; (a) Witoto. 2. Drums (Witoto). 3. Pan-pipes, Witoto; (a) Boro. 4. Stone Axe (Andoke). 5. Paddle used on Main Amazon Stream. 6. Paddle used on Issa and Japura Rivers. 7. Menimehe Hand Club. 8. Wooden Sword (Boro). 9. Pestle—Coca, etc. (Boro) | [116] |
| XXXI. | Bamboo Cases, filled with Darts for Blow-pipe, showing Fish-jaw Scraper, and Gourd filled with Raw Cotton. One Dart has Tuft of Cotton placed ready for Use. These are Andoke Work | [118] |
| XXXII. | Witoto War Gathering | [120] |
| XXXIII. | 1. Boro Necklace made of Marmoset Teeth 2. Andoke Necklace of Human Teeth | [124] |
| XXXIV. | Boro Women making Cassava | [132] |
| XXXV. | Witoto Cassava-squeezer. Boro Manioc-grater with Palm-spine Points | [134] |
| XXXVI. | One of the Ingredients of the Famous Curare Poison | [138] |
| XXXVII. | Incised Gourds | [144] |
| XXXVIII. | Karahone Child. Boro Women carrying Children | [150] |
| XXXIX. | Boro Women carrying Children | [154] |
| XL. | Okaina Girls | [158] |
| XLI. | Stone Axe Head (Boro). String of Magic Stones (Andoke) | [184] |
| XLII. | Anatto, Bixa Orellana. A Red Dye, or Paint, is made from the Seed | [190] |
| XLIII. | Half Gourds decorated with Incised Patterns, made by Witoto near the Mouth of the Kara Parana River. Dukaiya (Okaina) Rattle made of Nutshells | [192] |
| XLIV. | Okaina Girls painted for Dance | [194] |
| XLV. | Boro Dancing. Group of Nonuya, Men and Women | [196] |
| XLVI. | Muenane Dance | [200] |
| XLVII. | Okaina Dance | [202] |
| XLVIII. | Okaina Dance | [204] |
| XLIX. | Pan-pipes | [210] |
| L. | Group of Witoto Women by Double-stemmed Palm Tree Group of Witoto Men by Double-stemmed Palm Tree | [232] |
| LI. | 1 and 2. Witoto Types. 3. Witoto from Kotue River | [270] |
| LII. | Combs. 1. Andoke Comb with Nutshell Cup for Rubber Latex. 2. Witoto Comb. 3. Boro Comb | [272] |
| LIII. | Boro Tribesman from the Pama River A Menimehe Captive | [274] |
| LIV. | Witoto Types. Witoto Woman with Leg Ligatures | [278] |
| MAPS | ||
| Map. 1. | Approximate Plan of Route | [2] |
| Map. 2. | Sketch Map | [10] |
| Map. 3. | Diagrammatic Map of the Issa-Japura Central Watershed, showing Language Groups | [58] |
| Sketch Map of the North-Western Affluents of the Amazon River | [At end] | |
| Sketch Map of the Amazon River with its Northern Affluents | [At end] | |
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
In the spring of 1908, having been among the Unemployed on the Active List for nearly two years on account of ill-health, and wearying not only of enforced inactivity but also perhaps of civilisation, I decided to go somewhere and see something of a comparatively unknown and unrecorded corner of the world. My mind reverted to pleasant days spent in the lesser known parts of East Africa, and at this moment I happened to come across Dr. Russel Wallace’s delightful Travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro. His spirited adventures, and the unique character of the country through which he passed and the peoples he met, fascinated me. I thought of attempting to complete his unfinished journey up the Uaupes River, and imagined I would be able to secure in South America all the instruments and materials such an expedition required. There lay my initial error. My inability to obtain anything of the sort hampered me in scientific research, so that these chapters must simply be regarded as impressions and studies of native ways and doings, noted by a temporary dweller in their midst.