d a small
dog bark in the house of the missionaries. There are neither cats
nor deer, nor horses, nor, in general, any four-legged beast. There
are but few birds, except those which live on the sea. They have,
however, fowls which they eat; but they never eat their eggs.

In spite of this lack of all things, they are happy and content
with their lot. They have some songs and dances in tolerably regular
time. They sing all together and make the same gestures, which has
a pleasing effect.

They are surprised at the government, the politeness, and the
manners of Europe, of which they have no knowledge. They admire
not only that august majesty of the ceremonies by which the church
celebrates divine worship, but also the music, the instruments, the
dances of the Spaniards, the weapons which they carry, and, above
all, the gunpowder. They admire also the whiteness of the Europeans;
for the inhabitants of this country are all of swarthy complexion.

They appear until now to have had no knowledge of God, nor do
they adore idols. We have noticed in them only a life altogether
barbarous. All their care is to seek for food and drink. They have
a great deference for their king and the chiefs of their villages,
and they obey them with the greatest exactitude. They do not have
regular hours for their meals. They drink and eat at any time and
wherever they may be, when they are hungry and thirsty, and when they
find wherewith to satisfy themselves. But they eat little at a time,
and one of their meals is not enough to suffice for all the day.

Their civility and mark of respect consists in taking the hand or
the foot of the one to whom they wish to do honor, and in rubbing it
gently over their face. They have among their possessions some saws
not made of iron, but of a large shell that is called here taclobo,
[7] which they sharpen by rubbing against certain stones. They have
also one of iron, as long as a finger. They were much astonished on
the occasion of a trading-vessel being built at Guivam, to see the
great variety of tools for carpentry which were used. They looked
at all these, one after another, with much wonder. They do not have
metals in their country. The father missionary gave them each a
good-sized piece of iron, which they received with more joy than if
he had given them so much gold. They had so much fear that it would
be taken away from them that they put it under their heads when they
wanted to sleep. They do n