estic life. Among the Caribs, especially, the woman is always
in bondage to her male relations. To her father, brother, or husband
she is a slave, and seldom has any power in the disposal of herself.
Among the Macusis, the custom of selling even their near relations
prevails. When a man dies, his wife and children are at the disposal of
his eldest surviving brother, who may sell or kill them at pleasure.

Among their worst features is their proneness to blood revenge, by
which, as among other savages, a succession of retaliatory murders is
long kept up. They believe also, when a person dies, that his death is
caused by the agency of an evil spirit secured by some enemy; and,
having settled who that person is, will follow his steps till they find
an opportunity of assassinating him. They are acquainted with several
poisonous plants, to which they sometimes resort to destroy those whom
they consider their enemies.

Although the savage Indian has some idea of the power of God, which he
deduces from the phenomena of nature--such as thunder and lightning--and
believes in his goodness in supplying him with cassava and other
provisions, yet his whole worship is devoted to propitiate the malignant
spirits, to avert evil which might otherwise overtake him; while he has
great faith in the power of the native sorcerers, who practise on his
credulity. The Guaranis are the most renowned as sorcerers. The huts
which are set apart for the performance of their superstitious rites are
regarded with great veneration. They believe in various spirits--some
of the forests and others of the water--as also in the power of charms
and potions; while they have numerous legends by which they account for
the creation of the world, the deluge, and many natural objects--some of
them apparently derived from the Peruvians and Mexicans, and other more
civilised races.

The languages spoken by different tribes are very dissimilar, many
common objects being called by names which have no approach to each
other in sound. This, however, rather proves the length of time they
have existed in the country, their isolation from each other, and the
admixture which has from time to time taken place, than that they sprang
originally from different stocks. The Guarani appears to be the
simplest and most easily acquired of any of the languages, and is still
spoken as far south as the La Plata, as well as on the banks of the
Orinoco. The Arawak language i