An unknown people in an unknown land : an account of the life and customs of the Lengua Indians of the Paraguayan Chaco, with adventures and experiences during twenty years' pioneering and exploration amongst them / by W. Barbrooke Grubb.

  • Wilfred Barbrooke Grubb
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: An unknown people in an unknown land : an account of the life and customs of the Lengua Indians of the Paraguayan Chaco, with adventures and experiences during twenty years' pioneering and exploration amongst them / by W. Barbrooke Grubb. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    189/378 (page 161)
    Death is invariably supposed by the Indian to result from the diiect influence of the kilyikhama, either proceeding from their own desire to injure, or induced through the medium of a witch-doctor. He, of course, never injures, or, at least, is believed never to injure any one of his own party, his business being, on the contrary, to secure them from evil. Anything theiefore, in the nature of sickness or death occurring in his own district is held to be either the direct act of the kilyikhama or of some unfriendly wizard from a distance. the ■saiious ways in which sickness and death are supposed to be caused have been already described under the head of witchcraft. When death ensues, the business of the wizard is simply to decide in what part of the body the cause of death is located, and this determines the special rites to be carried out at burial. As long as there is hope of recovery, the wizard and the friends show great kindness to the sufferer, and do all that they can for him, and I have frequently noticed instances of very careful and tender nursing as far as their limited knowledge went. But when once the hope of life has been extinguished, both suffeiei, wizard, and friends give up the struggle The patient is then to a great extent regarded as practically dead, and little further attention is paid to him. When death seems imminent, the dying person is removed from the village and laid outside, with a mat thrown over him, although he may be quite conscious. They think nothing of Ihis discomfort at this time. rlhe hot noonday sun may be ipounng down upon him, aggravating his suffering, or tropical train may be falling, or perhaps the cold south wind of winter chilling him, but it matters not. Quite close to him prepara- tions are being made for a hasty departure. lie sees them, and very often hears the discussions as to how they intend to treat him. This state of consciousness continues sometimes up to actual burial. Can the reader imagine what must be the feelings of this poor deserted creature? No kindly word is spoken to him, no friendly hand holds his, though he is still living, still conscious. Oftentimes he suffers the agonies of thirst, but no one attends to his needs. And yet these Indians are nol 161 L