ISTapo Indians. 165 



Tlie country is very thinly inhabited. The chief tribes 

 are the semi-Christianized Napos (sometimes called Quijos), 

 dwelling on the north bank of the ISTapo ; the peaceful but 

 uncivilized Zaparos, living between the Napo and Pastassa, 

 and the warlike Jivaros, spread over the unexplored region 

 between the Pastassa and Santiago. 



These oriental tribes would probably be assigned by 

 D'Orbigny to the Antisian branch of the Alpine races of 

 South America. Dwelling amid the darkness of primeval 

 forests, and on the gloomy banks of mountain torrents, they 

 have acquired modifications of character, physical and mor- 

 al, which distinguish them from the natives of the high 

 and open regions, or the steaming lowlands of the Ama- 

 zon. In color, however, they do not appear to us to be en- 

 titled to the name of " white men ;" they approach nearer 

 to the bronze complexion of the Quichuans than the yellow 

 cast of the Brazilians. We see no evidence of that " bleach- 

 ing process" resulting from a life under the dense canopy 

 of foliage of which the learned French naturalist speaks, 

 neither did we perceive the force of his statement that 

 the color of the South American bears a very decided re- 

 lation to the humidity of the atmosphere. 



The features of the N"apo Indians are Quichuan, espe- 

 cially the low forehead, squarely- built face, and dull ex- 

 pression; but in stature they exceed the mountaineers. 

 From a skull in our possession we take the following 

 measurements, adding for comparison the dimensions of 

 an ancient Peruvian cranium in Dr. Morton's collection : 



Napo. Peravian. 



Longitudinal diameter , G^ in. 6.1 in. 



Parietal " Sf " 6. " 



Frontal " 4 " 4.7" 



Vertical " 4^ " 5.5 " 



Capacity 83^5 cub, in. 83 cub. in. 



Facial angle 70° 81° 



