the Conquest, the trait was probably borrowed by the 
Pijao from their Chibcha neighbors, the Paez, just as the 
Motilones borrowed it from the Chibchan groups of the 
Sierra Nevada, and Karib groups in the Amazon acquired 
it through contact with other tribes (35). 
Choco: linguistic family Kavib, according to Rivet 
(38a). 
These Indians live in scattered groups along the Pacific 
coast and in the headwaters of the Rio Condoto in the 
Departamento del Chocé6. 
Some groups of the Chocés use Datura (possibly D. 
suaveolens) in magic. According to Wassen (54), these 
natives probably employ a species of Datura, and See- 
mann (41) asserted as early as 1852 that the Indians of 
the Choco prepare a decoction of Datura seeds which 
is sometimes given to children in maize-beer, in which 
drink its ill effects are said to be counteracted. The In- 
dians believe that persons under the influence of Datura 
(tonga or borrachera) have the power of divination. 
Paez: linguistic family Chibcha, according to Rivet 
(38), Ortiz (26). 
This is the largest tribe in Colombia, numbering about 
30,000. It is distributed as follows: one part in the De- 
partamento del Tolima, between the Até and Saldafia 
Rivers; another and major part in the region called Tier- 
radentro in the northeastern section of the Departamento 
del Cauca. 
The Paez have grown and used coca for more than four 
centuries. Coca cultivation is carried on in the valleys 
crossed by the Paez River and up to 2000 meters in 
altitude. 
Amongst these people, coca is mainly a dietary com- 
plement, but it is also used in magic and medicine. All 
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