As I Have Already Remarked, I Found The People Were Sun-Worshippers.
Each Morning, Just As The Rising Sun Lit Up The Eastern Sky, Young
And Old Came Out Of Their Houses, The Older Ones Carrying Empty
Gourds With The Dry Seeds Inside.
At a signal from the high priest, a
solemn droning chant was struck up, to the monotonous time kept by
the numerous gourd rattles.
As the sun rose higher and higher, the
chanting grew louder and louder, and the echoes of "He! he! he! ha!
ha! ha! laima! laima!" were repeated by the distant hills. When the
altar of incense (described later) was illuminated by the sun-god,
the chanting ceased.
After this solemn worship of the Orb of Day, the women, with quiet
demeanor and in single file, went off to their work in the gardens.
On returning, each carried a basket made of light canes, slung on the
back and held up by plaited fibres forming a band which came across
their foreheads. The baskets contained the day's vegetables. Meat was
seldom eaten by them, but this was probably because of its scarcity,
for when we killed an ostrich they clamored for a share. Reptiles of
all kinds, and even caterpillars, are devoured by them when hungry.
The Caingwas are under the average height, but use the longest bows
and arrows I have ever seen. Some I brought away measure nearly seven
feet in length. The points are made of sharpened iron-wood, notched
like the back of a fish-hook, and they are poisoned with serpent
venom. Besides these weapons, it was certainly strange to find them
living in the stone age, for in the hands of the older members of
the tribe were to be seen stone axes. The handles of these primitive
weapons are scraped into shape by flints, as probably our savage
forefathers in Britain did theirs two thousand years ago.
Entering the low, narrow doorway of one of the bamboo frame houses, I
saw that it was divided into ten-foot squares by corn-stalk
partitions a yard high. These places, like so many stalls for horses,
run down each side of the hoga. One family occupies a division,
sleeping in net hammocks made of long, coarse grass. A "family man"
usually has bands of human hair twisted around his legs below the
knees, and also around the wrists. This hair is torn from his wife's
head. Down the centre are numerous fires for cooking purposes, but
the house was destitute of chimney. Wood is burned, and the place was
at times so full of smoke that I could not distinguish one Indian
from another. Fortunately, the walls of the house, as was also the
roof, were in bad repair, and some of the smoke escaped through the
chinks. Sixty people lived in the largest hoga, and I judged the
number of the whole tribe to be about three hundred.
The doorways of all the houses faced towards the east, as did those
of the Inca. In the principal one, where the high priest lived, a
square altar of red clay was erected. I quickly noticed that on this
elevation, which was about a yard high, there burned a very carefully
tended fire of holy wood. Enquiring the meaning of this, I was
informed that, very many moons ago, Nande-yara had come in person to
visit the tribe, and when with them had lit the fire, which, he said,
they must not under any circumstances suffer to die out. Ever since
then the smoke of the incense had ascended to their "Owner" in his
far-off dwelling.
How forcibly was I reminded of the scripture referring to the Jewish
altar of long ago, "There the fire shall ever be burning upon the
altar; it shall never go out." If I had not discovered Eden, I had at
least found the altar and fire of Edenic origin.
Behind the altar, occupying the stall directly opposite the doorway,
stood the tribal god. As the Caingwas are sun-worshippers, I was
surprised to see this, but Rocanandivia, with grave demeanor, told me
that when Nandeyara departed from them he left behind him his
representative. In the chapter on Mariolatry, I have traced the
natural tendency of man to sink from spiritual to image worship, and
I found that the Caingwas, like all pagans, had reverted to a
something they could see and feel. Remembering that they had never
heard the second commandment, written by God because of this failing
in man, we can excuse them, but what shall be said of the enlightened
Romanists?
Being exceedingly anxious to procure their "Copy of God," I tried to
bargain with the priest. I offered him one thing and another, but to
all my proposals he turned a deaf ear, and finally, glaring at me,
said that nothing would ever induce him to part with it. The people
would never allow the image to be taken away, as the life of the
tribe was bound up with it Seeing that he was not to be moved, I
desisted, though a covetous look in his eye when I offered a
beautiful colored rug in exchange gave me hope, Rocanandiva was, like
most idolatrous priests, very fanatical. When he learned that I
professed and taught a different religion, his jealousy was most
marked, and he often told me to go from them, I was not wanted.
Living with the king, however, saved me from ejection.
One day the priest, ever on the beg, was anxious to obtain some
article from me, and I determined to give it only on one condition.
Being anxious to tell the people the story of Jesus, I had repeatedly
asked permission of him, but had been as often repulsed. They did not
want me, or any new "words," he would reply. Turning to him now, I
said, "Rocanandiva, if you will allow me to tell 'words' to the
people you shall have the present." The priest turned on his heel and
left me.
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