CHARACTERS. 



565 



in length, and curiously construct- 

 ed in three parts, the middle part 

 being of reed, the two others of 

 heavy hard wood ; the feathers 

 were fastened on with cotton ; 

 the head was either of bone, or it 

 was a blade of dry reedcut into the 

 shape of an old lancet, or the sting 

 of a certain species offish. They 

 were incomparable archers ; — 

 with leave of the English, says 

 De Lery, who are so excellent in 

 this art, I must say, that a Tupi- 

 namba would shoot twelve arrows 

 before an Englishman could let fly 

 six. Fire-arms terrified them till 

 they comprehended their nature ; 

 but when they learnt that the gun 

 must be loaded before it could be 

 iired, they thought little of such 

 a weapon, saying they could dis- 

 patch six arrows while a gun was 

 loaded once. Nor did they con- 

 sider thera as more destructive 

 than their own shafts, against 

 which no shield or breast-plate 

 was of sufTicient strength. In 

 fact, fire-arms were not so deadly 

 in their hands as they were when 

 levelled against them. The French 

 sold them gunpowder ; but it was 

 such gunpowder that when three 

 savages filled a barrel to the brim, 

 one held it, another aimed it, and 

 a third applied the match, there 

 was no danger that the gun would 

 burst. Their shields were pieces 

 of the anta's hide, about the size 

 and shape of a drum-head. Their 

 canoes were made of bark ; they 

 worked them standing, holding the 

 paddle in the middle, and press- 

 ing its broad blade back through 

 the water ; they made no haste ; 

 but took their pleasure as they 

 went, and stopped to fish at the 

 mouths of rivers, some blowing 

 horns, others a rude trumpet form- 



ed of a species of long gourd* 

 others playing upon fifes which 

 were made of the bones of their 

 enemies. 



When Kenyan Bebe halted the 

 first night, the maracas were pro- 

 duced ; they rattled them, and 

 danced till it was late, and then 

 the chief bade them go and dream. 

 Hans was ordered to dream too ; 

 but when he said there was no 

 truth in dreams, he was desired 

 to prevail upon God to let thera 

 take plenty of prisoners. At sun- 

 rise they breakfasted upon fish, 

 and when that was done every one 

 related his dream, — it maybe sup- 

 posed of what materials they were 

 composed ; — blood and slaughter 

 and cannibal banquets. Poor Hans 

 was trembling with hope that 

 they might meet the stronger ex< 

 pedition which the Tupiniquins 

 were preparing, or that he might 

 effect his escape when they readied 

 the scene of action. Unhappily, 

 instead of this, they fell in with 

 five canoes from Bertioga, and 

 after a hard chase came up with 

 them. Hans knew all the ill-fated 

 crew ; there were six christian 

 Mamalucos, as the mixed breed 

 are called, among them. The 

 Tupinambas, as they gained upoa 

 them, held up their fifes of human 

 bone, and rattled their necklaces 

 of human teeth, shouting and ex- 

 ulting with the certain hope of 

 victory. Great as was the dispa- 

 rity of numbers, the Mamalucos 

 kept oft" the enemy for two hours, 

 till two of them being desperately 

 wounded, and the others havin^j 

 expended their shot and their 

 arrows, they were finally made 

 prisoners. 



The conquerors, as soon as they 

 liad secured their prey, rowed 



