134 VOYAGE UP THE TAPAJOS. Chap. II. 



single families, whilst the separate hordes of Mundu- 

 rucus generally live together, each in one large dwelling. 

 The Cupari horde do not form an exception in this 

 respect, as they also lived together in one of these large 

 huts until very recently. The Mauhes are undistin- 

 guishable in physical appearance from their neighbours, 

 being of middle size, with broad muscular chests, and 

 well-shaped limbs and hands. But the individuals of 

 both tribes can be readily distinguished from the Muras ; 

 less, however, by the structure and proportions of the 

 body than by the expression of their countenances, which 

 is mild and open instead of brutal, surly and mistrustful, 

 as in those savages. They are invariably friendly to 

 the whites ; as I have already mentioned, they use the 

 Parica snuff, a habit quite unknown to the Mundurucus. 

 They are the only tribe who manufacture Guarana, a 

 hard substance made of the pounded seeds of a climb- 

 ing plant (Paullinia sorbilis), which they sell in large 

 quantities to traders, it being used throughout the 

 whole of the interior provinces of Brazil, grated and 

 mixed in water, as a remedy in diarrhoea and intermittent 

 fevers. The Mundurucus have a tradition that they and 

 the Mauhes originally formed one tribe ; the two peoples 

 were formerly bitter enemies, but are now, and have 

 been for many years, at peace with each other. Many 

 centuries must have elapsed since the date of their first 

 separation, to have produced the great differences now 

 existing in language and customs between the two 

 tribes. I fancy the so-called tradition is only a myth, 

 but it doubtless conveys the truth. The points of re- 

 semblance between all the tribes inhabiting the region 



