512 ULLOA's voyage to, south AMERICA. 



Many of the inhabitants of both nations hold a friendly intercourfe with the Spanifh 

 miffionaries, and with the inhabitants of the Chriftian villages, with whom they traffic, 

 as well as with the Spaniards and Meftizos, fettled at Borja and Laguna. All thefe 

 .g nations of Indians have fome refemblance in their cuftoms ; but in their languages 



ikK^iH very different, every one feeming to have a particular dialeft, though there are fome 

 of a nearer affinity than others to the general language of Peru. The moft difficult 

 to be pronounced is that of the Yameos Indians : while, on the other hand, none is 

 fo eafy and agreeable to the ear as that of the Omaguas : and the genius* and tempers 

 • ^ of thefe two nations were found to be as different as their language. Thus the 

 Omaguas, even before their fubmiffion, gave many furprizing proofs of the clearnefs 

 of their intelledls; but were furpaffed by the Yurimaguas, both in wit. and penetration. 

 The former lived in villages under fome kind of government, peacefully obeying their 

 curacas or chiefs. They were lefs barbarous ; their manners lefs turbulent and 

 corrupt than thofe of moft other Indians. The Yurimaguas formed a kind of republic ; 

 and had fome laws which were ftri6lly obferved, and the breach of them punifhed in 

 an exemplary manner. But in police the preference doubtlefs belongs to the Omaguas : 

 for, befides living in fociety, there was an appearance of decency among them, their 

 nudities being covered, which by others were totally negledled. This difpofition in 

 thofe two nations for making approaches, however fmall, to civil cuftoms and a rational 

 life, not a little contributed to the fpeedy progrefs of their converfion. They were 

 more eafily convinced, from the light of nature, of the truth and propriety of the 

 doftrines preached by the miffionaries ; and were convinced, that happinefs, both pub- 

 lic and private, was intimately connected with an uniform obfervance of fuch precepts, 

 inftead of the innumerable evils refulting from the manner of living hitherto pradifed 

 by them. 



Among the variety of fmgular cuftoms prevailing in thefe nations, one cannot help 

 being furprifed at the odd tafte of the Omaguas, a people otherwife fo fenfible, who, 

 to render their children what they call beautiful, fiat the fore and hind parts of the 

 head, which gives them a monftrous appearance ; for the forehead grows upwards in 

 proportion as it is flatted ; fo that the diftance from the rifmg of the nofe, to the 

 beginning of the hair, exceeds that from the lower part of the nofe to the bottom of 

 the chin : and the fame is obfervable in the back part of the head. The fides alfo are 

 very narrow, from a natural confequence of the preffure ; as thus the parts preffed, 

 inftead of fpreading, conformably to the common courfe of nature, grows upwards. 

 This praftice is of great antiquity among them ; and kept up fo ftridly, that they 

 make a jeft of other nations, calling them calabafh heads. 



In order to give children this beautiful flatnefs, the upper part of the head is put, 

 foon after the birth, betwixt two pieces of board ; and repeated, from time to time, till 

 they have brought it to the faftiionable form. 



Another nation of thefe Indians, affefting a ftriking appearance, make feveral holes 

 in both their upper and under lips, both fides of the cartilage of their nofe, their 

 chins, and jaws , and in thefe they ftick fine feathers, or little arrows, eight or nine 

 inches long. The reader's own imagination will fufficiently paint the ftrange appear- 

 ance they muft make with thefe decorations. Others place a great beauty in long 

 ears ; and accordingly extend them by art to fuch a degree, that in fome the inferior 

 lobe touches the fhoulder : and they value themfelves on the nickname of long ears, 

 which has been given them in ridicule. The method they make ufe of to extend 

 their ears, is this : they bore a hole in the lobe, and faften to it a fmall weight, which 

 they from time to time increafe, till the ear is ftretched to nearly the length above- 

 mentioned ; 



