Arthur O. Friel

“ In the bark wall are slabs having one side unattached, which can be used as entrances to the central room; these snap back into place by their own stiffness, making the wall seem solid. The married men can come and go by any entrance they like, either inside or outside; but the unmarried men must use only their own doors, and the girls must keep out of the men’s room.
Over all is the circular palm-thatch roof, coming to a point, with a large smoke-hole protected by a sort of hood which throws off rain. Because of this great sloping roof, we call the Maquiritare houses paraguas—umbrellas. ”

“ Those who were there were nursing very young babies or cooking food in clay vessels over tiny fires. They paid no attention to us, at least while we were looking their way; and we gave very little attention to them. In fact, we looked less at the women than at the dogs we found lying here and there—the usual small black-haired, cruel-eyed hunting-dogs of the Maquiritares—and the setting hens crouching against the walls. In one little “apartment,” as White called it, we found also a tame pauji which, our guide said, had been caught when a very young bird, and which followed us a few steps. ”

“ While I waited for this drink to be made I talked lazily to all the men around me, giving them such news of matters outside the hills as would interest them. Knowing that they wished also to hear something from me about White, although they asked no questions, I said he was a Norte Americano who had traveled on the Caura and now was returning to that river, and that we were going together to the Maquiritare settlement highest up on the Ventuari, from which the two Maquiritares now with us had come. ”

“ Two lead through passages into the men’s room; the other two open into the married quarters. There are also tiny windows, through which the children, and sometimes the women, squeeze in and out when it is more convenient than using the doors. ”