Their cheek-bones
were not as high as is usual with tribes found on the Amazon; they
seemed to come from a different race. Their eyes were set straight
without any tendency to the Mongolian slanting that characterises
the Peruvian _caboclos_ and the tribes of the northern affluents. The
women had unusually large feet, while those of the men were small and
well-shaped. The general appearance of a young Mangeroma was that of
a well-proportioned athlete, standing about five feet ten in his bare
feet. No moccasins, nor any other protection for the feet, were worn.
The supply of wourahli poison had run low and three wourahli men were
to go out in the forest to collect poison plants, a journey which
would require several days to complete. This occasion was set as the
time of my departure.
It was a rainy morning when I wrapped my few belongings in a leaf,
tied some grass-fibres around them, and inserted them in the large
pocket of my khaki-coat. The box with the gold dust was there, also
the boxes with the exposed photographic plates. Most of the gold had
filtered out of the box, but a neat quantity still remained. One of my
servants--a handsome girl--who, excepting for the labial ornaments,
could have been transformed into an individual of quite a civilised
appearance by opportunity, gave me a beautiful black necklace as
a souvenir.
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