MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



403 



man who sees the offender fires, 

 for they do not wish to have any 

 contention. Nor is it possible for 

 the magistrate to fix upon the 

 individual of the party who shot 

 the criminal ; for if any of them 

 are asked who killed him, the an- 

 swer invariably is, " os homems," 

 " the men." 



It is usually said, that a party 

 of Indians will fight tolerably 

 well ; but that t'.vo or three will 

 take to tiieir heels at the first 

 alarm. Some of them however 

 are resolute, and sufficiently cou- 

 rageous ; but the general charac- 

 ter is usually supposed to be cow- 

 ardly, inconstant, devoid of acute 

 feelings, as foigetful of favours as 

 of injuries, obstinate in trifles, 

 regardless of matters of import- 

 ance. The character of the negro 

 is more decided ; it is worse, but 

 it is also better. From the black 

 race the worst of men may be 

 formed ; but they are capable 

 likewise of great and good ac- 

 tions. The Indian seems to be 

 without energy or exertion j de- 

 void of great good or great evil. 

 Much may at the same time be 

 said in their favour j they have 

 been unjustly dealt with, they 

 have been tianipled uprn, and 

 afterwards treated as children ; 

 they have been always sub- 

 jected to those who consider 

 themselves their supeiiors, and 

 this desire to govern thein has 

 even been carried to the direc- 

 tion of their domestic arrange- 

 ments. But no, — if they are a 

 race of acute beings, capa- 

 ble of energy, of being deeply 

 interested upon any subject, they 

 would do more than they have 

 done. The priesthood is open 

 to them i but they do not take; 



advantage of it. I never saw an 

 Indian mechanic in any of the 

 towns ; there is no instance of a 

 wealthy Indian ; rich nmlattos 

 and negroes are by no means rare. 

 I have had many dealings with 

 them as guides and carriers, and 

 subsequently as labourers, and 

 have no reason to complain, for 1 

 was never inj ured by any of them ; 

 but neither did I receive any par- 

 ticular service, excepting in the 

 instance of Julio. For guides 

 and carriers tliey are well adapted, 

 as their usual habits lead them to 

 the rambling life which these em- 

 ployments encourage. As labour- 

 ers, I found that they had usually 

 a great inclination to overreach ; 

 but their schemes were badly made, 

 and consecpiently easily discovered. 

 I never could dejiend upon them 

 for any length of time, and to ad- 

 vance money or clothing to them 

 is a certain loss. If I h;id any 

 labour which was to be pei formed 

 by a given time, the oveiseer 

 would always reckon upon his 

 mulatto and negro fiee people; 

 but did not mention in the list 

 of persons who were to work, 

 any of the Indians whom I was then 

 employing ; and on my speaking 

 of them, he answered "An Indian 

 is only to be mentioned for the 

 present day," meaning that no re- 

 liance is to be placed upon them. 



Like most of the aboriginal in- 

 habitants of the western hemi- 

 sphere, these people are of a cop- 

 per colour. They aie short, and 

 stoutly made ; but their limbs, 

 though laige, have not the appear- 

 ance of possessing great strength ; 

 they have no show of muscle. 

 The face is disproportionately 

 broad, the nose tlat, the mouth 

 wide, the eyes deep and small, the 



a D 2 hair 



