NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 331 



criticize it in other respects, he felt bound to protest against all of 

 that portion relating to the Indians of Costa Rica. 



Heretofore, nothing reliable had been published on the subject, 

 because nothing was known with certainty. The scanty literature 

 of the subject has been based rather on untrustworthy reports 

 than on personal observations. Mr. G. has recently completed a 

 very detailed exploration of the region known under the political 

 name of Talamanca in Costa Rica, and has devoted much time and 

 care to the subject of its Indianology. The map of Bancroft is 

 worse than useless. He places the "Talamancas" in the northeast 

 portion of the Republic, the " Blancos" in the centre, exactby where 

 the 150,000 of the Spanish inhabitants live, "Orotiiians" along the 

 coast of the Gulf of Nico}-a, the "Valiertes" and "Ramas" in 

 Talamanca, and the "Guetares" to the south of the " Orotinans." 

 The "Guatusos" are the only tribe that is placed with even 

 approximate correctness. The " Valientes" live in the Province of 

 Chiriqui, State of Panama, the "Ramas" belong in Nicaragua at 

 about the spot where the name is repeated. The "Blancos," so 

 called from Pico Blanco, a mountain in their country (Talamanca), 

 consist of three tribes scattered over southeastern Costa Rica. 

 The two tribes placed on the Pacific coast have no existence, but 

 south of where they are located by Mr. Bancroft, there are two 

 semi-civilized tribes, the Terrabas and the Borucas (or Brunkas). 



The Guatusos are implacably hostile to civilized men, and are 

 nearly unknown. Popular report makes them partially white, and 

 they have been said to be descended from English buccaneers. It 

 is not impossible that they may have a slight admixture of Spanish 

 blood, derived from the inhabitants of the town of Esparza, who 

 were once driven from their homes by the English. Even this, 

 however, is doubtful, and the most reliable and cautious observers 

 who have penetrated the country or who have seen the few captives, 

 taken out from time to time, agree that they are pure Indians in 

 every respect 



The Blancos, as they are called by the Spaniards, belong to three 

 distinct tribes, divided both geographically and by their languages. 

 They are the Bri-bris, inhabiting nearty all of the watershed of the 

 Tiliri or Sicsola River, the Cabecars, living on the Coen River, and 

 scattered over the region from that point to the frontiers of civili- 

 zation in Costa Rica, and the Tiribis, living to the southeast of the 

 Bri-bris, on the Tilorio River. The west coast Indians are the 

 Terrabas, an offshoot of the Tiribis, and who still retain a tradition 

 of their emigration from the old home of their tribe to the more 

 hospitable plains of Terraba, and the Borucas, who occupy a 

 simple village, and who seem to be the remains of the original 

 population of this region. These west coast Indians are partially 

 civilized, live under the municipal and ecclesiastical control of a 

 missionary priest, and nearly all speak Spanish. Their languages 

 are being rapidly corrupted by Spanish, and are practically under- 

 going the process of replacement. Some of the Borucas have 



