276 NATIVE NUMERALS. 



place proceed as far as three. Thus : one, Me- 

 tombul— ^two, Bulla — three, Bulla metong; and 

 Biolong, which signifies any quantity.* 



The dread of ridicule prevails to as extensive 

 a degree among the females of this savage as 

 among our more civilized races. One of the 

 naked Venuses at this place was induced some 

 time since by a European, during the absence of 

 her tribe, to array herself in drapery ; a petti- 

 coat was the portion of a lady's dress selected, 

 but the garment was as often thrown over 

 the shoulders as around the waist. When the 

 tribe returned it happened to be the latter, 

 and they made most particular inquiries re- 

 specting the reason that she was so clothed — ^and 

 whether she was ashamed to be naked, according 

 to the custom of her forefathers? So much 

 ridicule was levelled against her costume, that 



* According to Spix and Martius, " The Coroados In- 

 dians in the interior of Brazil have their language, in respect 

 to numbers, very imperfect. They generally count only by 

 the joints of the finger, consequently only to three ; every 

 greater number they express by the word 'many.' Their 

 calculation of time is equally simple — merely according to 

 the returning season of the ripening of the fruits, or according 

 to the phases of the moon, — of which latter, however, they 

 can express in words only the appearance, without any refer- 

 ence to the cause." — Travels in Brazil, 8vo. Eng. Transl. 

 vol. ii. p. 255. 



