Chap. II. MAUHES INDIANS. 133 



a large cigar, made with an air of great mystery by 

 rolling tobacco in folds of Tauari, and then sucks the 

 place, drawing from his mouth, when he has finished, 

 what he pretends to be the worm. It is a piece of very 

 clumsy conjuring. One of these pajes was sent for by a 

 woman in Joao Malagueita's family, to operate on a c^hild 

 who suffered much from pains in the head. Senhor 

 Joao contrived to get possession of the supposed worm 

 after the trick was performed in our presence, and it 

 turned out to be a long white air-root of some plant. 

 The paje was with difficulty persuaded to operate whilst 

 Senhor Joao and I were present. I cannot help think- 

 ing that he, as well as all others of the same profession, 

 are conscious impostors, handing down the shallow secret 

 of their divinations and tricks from generation to gene- 

 ration. The institution seems to be common to all 

 tribes of Indians, and to be held to more tenaciously 

 than any other. 



The opposite (western) shore of the Tapajos for some 

 distance beyond the falls, and the country thence to the 

 channels behind Villa Nova, are inhabited by the Mauhes 

 tribe, of whom I have spoken in a former chapter. 

 These are also a settled, agricultural people, but speak a 

 totally different language from that of the Mundurucus. 

 I saw at Aveyros several men of this fine tribe, who were 

 descending the river in a trading canoe, and who, on 

 being confronted with a Mundurucu were quite unable 

 to understand him. There are many other points of dif- 

 ference between the two tribes. The Mauhes are much 

 less warlike, and do not practise tattooing. Their villages 

 are composed of a number of small huts, tenanted by 



