EXCURSION TO MAUHES AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD. 317 



fluttering flight of the Heliconians. The former give broad, 

 strong strokes with their wide wings, the latter beat the air 

 with quick, impatient, tremulous movements. 



December 20th. This morning we left Mauhes, accom- 

 panied by our Mundurucu Indian and his wife. The 

 President takes them to Manaos, in the hope of obtain- 

 ing their portraits to enlarge Mr. Agassiz's collection. I 

 am interested in watching the deportment of these people, 

 which is marked by a striking propriety that wins respect. 

 They have remained in the seat where the Captain has 

 placed them, not moving, except to bring their little bag- 

 gage, from which the woman has taken out her work and 

 is now busy in sewing, while her husband makes cigarette 

 envelopes from a bark used by the Indians for this purpose ; 

 certainly very civilized occupations for savages. As they 

 speak no Portuguese, we can only communicate with them 

 through the interpreter or through Mr. Coutinho, who has 

 considerable familiarity with the "lingua geral." They 

 seem more responsive, more ready to enter into conversa- 

 tion now than when we first saw them ; but the woman, 

 when addressed, or when anything is offered to her, in- 

 variably turns to her husband, as if the decision of every- 

 thing rested with him. It might be thought that the fan- 



* > O O 



tastic ornaments of these Indians would effectually disguise 

 all pretence to beauty ; but it is not so with this pair. 

 Their features are fine, the build of the face solid and 

 square, but not clumsy, and there is a passive dignity in 

 their bearing which makes itself felt, spite of their tattoo- 

 ing. I have never seen anything like the calm in the man's 

 face ; it is not the stolidity of dulness, for his expression is 

 sagacious and observant, but a look of such abiding tran- 

 quillity that you cannot imagine that it ever has been or 



