In those mountain regions dwell the Arecunas, a fine sturdy race--with
clear copper-tinted skins--unencumbered by clothing, though wearing
feathers and other ornaments; long sticks through the cartilage of their
nostrils, and still longer, richly adorned with tufts of black feathers,
through their ears. Both sexes are much tattooed; some of the women
having dark blue lines across the upper lip, and extending in wavy
curves over each cheek, looking like enormous curled moustaches. Others
have a broad line round the mouth, which gives it the appearance of
being far larger than it is in reality. The men wear the heads of
humming-birds and of a bird of a beautiful blue colour in their ears;
and round their waist, girdles of monkey's hair.
Schombergh, who visited them, says they made a great feast in his
honour, when there was a grand display of gorgeous plumes, and
head-dresses,--the whole winged tribe having apparently been put in
requisition to furnish forth the most brilliant of their feathers. They
had also necklaces of the teeth of monkeys and peccaries, and
porcupines' quills; to which were attached long cotton fringes--which
hung down their backs, and to which toucan and other skins were
suspended securely. Feasting and dancing, kept up by the natives thus
dressed, lasted the whole night; and the constantly-repeated burden of
their song was--"Roraima of the red rock, wrapped in clouds, the
ever-fertile source of streams."