B R A S I L. 



413 



minable series ; for every act of vengeance culled for 

 ' new vengeance in return ( every instance of savage 

 cruelty left an indelible recollection in the mind of 

 the whole tribe, to which fie belonged, against whom 

 it had been committed. This propensity was doubt- 

 less aided by that restlessness and desire of activity, 

 which, in such fierce minds, could be gratified only 

 by occupations of the most turbulent and tumultuous 

 character. The love of military glory also, that fa- 

 vourite passion among all rude nations, entered large- 

 ly into their motives to war. It was still subordinate, 

 however, to their thirst of vengeance, and the desire 

 of doing execution : the latter passion so far prevail- 

 ed, as to make them adopt a mode of warfare, which 

 has generally been deemed dishonourable by more 

 civilized nations. They avoided to meet their ene- 

 mies in the field ; they never courted that single 

 combat, which, in a nation governed by honour, is 

 considered as bringing bravery to the fairest test. 

 They conducted their wars by stratagem, by sur- 

 prize, by ambuscade ; they chose the dead hour of 

 midnight to fall upon their unsuspecting enemies ; 

 they sought to destroy them, without exposing them- 

 selves to danger. This system, however, did not im- 

 ply the want of courage ; when perils met them, 

 however formidable, they faced them with intrepidi- 

 ty ; they endured, with the most dreadful constancy, 

 those horrors, to which savage war exposes the van- 

 quished. This care of themselves seems to have been 

 dictated by the necessity of not diminishing the num- 

 bers of their tribes, since it was in numbers that its 

 whole strength consisted ; and these numbers being 

 slender, would be materially diminished by the loss 

 even of a very few members. This method had also 

 the effect of rendering the blow struck against their 

 enemies more sure and effectual ; it prevented flight 

 or resistance ; it rendered their destruction sudden 

 and entire. When one of their expeditions was de- 

 termined upon, the old men arranged the time and 

 mode of procedure ; they gave the signal for setting 

 out, and were followed by the rest, with the most 

 rapturous acclamations. Having laid up provision 

 sufficient to last for a considerable time, they pro- 

 ceeded by the most unfrequented paths, in profound 

 silence, till they arrived at the hostile frontiers. There 

 they left the women, children, and all those who were 

 unfit for service ; and the chosen warriors of the na- 

 tion proceeded to the scene of action. When they ap- 

 proacUed the village on which the attack was to be 

 made, they concealed themselves more carefully than 

 ever. Taking their station in the thickest woods, 

 they watched the opportunity of finding the enemy 

 completely unprepared. The time favourable for 

 this purpose was of course the night, when the ene- 

 my were buried in sleep, and unconscious of impend- 

 ing danger. Notwithstanding dreadful and continml- 

 ly repeated examples, these nations had never adopt- 

 ed the obvious precaution of stationing a centinel to 

 warn them of an approaching enemy. The attack, 

 therefore proved generally successful ; the inhabitants 

 were roused from profound slumber by the yells of 

 their destroying foe. A scene then ensued, the hor- 

 rors of which no pen can describe. The victims, un- 

 prepared, unarmed, defenceless, fell unresisting into 

 the hands of their enraged and unrelenting enemies. 



In vjin did their cries rise to heaven ; vain was all 

 HIppBcation ; neither age nor si-x afforded shelter 

 from the utmost excesses of cruelty ; nnd the victors 

 exhausted themselves in inventing new forms of inhu- 

 manity ; they devour in their fury portions of the 

 mangled victims, while they rcsrrvc the survivors for 

 a more lingering fate. The number of prisoners ta- 

 ken was, indeed, the criterion by which their warlike 

 exploits were chiefly valued. The arrival of a nume- 

 rous band doomed to destruction, secures them a joy. 

 ful reception from that part of the community who 

 had been left at home, and who were eagerly waiting 

 their return. These unhappy men were reserved for 

 a festival, the most horrible and the most disgraceful 

 to human nature. To devour the flesh of their ene- 

 mies, amid savage pomp and acclamation, was con- 

 sidered as the utmost height of human triumph. 

 They did not, however, proceed immediately ; nor 

 did they, unless to a small extent, in the first frenzy 

 of battle, feed on the bodies of enemies slain on the 

 field. They reserved the living captives for an au- 

 gust solemnity, at which the whole nation was called 

 to assist. Previous to this awful day, the prisoner 

 was treated with every mark of kindness and favour. 

 His wants were liberally supplied ; he was allowed 

 to accompany them in the exercises of hunting and 

 fishing ; and the person to whom he belonged hesi- 

 tated not to give him one of. his own nearest relations 

 as a wife, during the short period that he had yet to 

 live. All this previous kindness, however, seemed to 

 be bestowed only to render his fate, when it arrived, 

 more dreadful. Immediately previous even to the fatal 

 moment, several days were devoted to feasting and pro- 

 fuse conviviality, in which the captive was admitted to 

 share. All his study, then, was to shew the most en- 

 tire indifference to his approaching fate, and the 

 proudest defiance to the enemies among whom he was 

 seated. He was the gayest of the company; he bonstcd 

 aloud of his warlike exploits, and particularly of such 

 as have been performed against those by whom hi- is 

 surrounded. He was then fixed on a scaffold, and, by 

 a whimsical indulgence, a number of stones were pla- 

 ced beside him, with which he was allowed to do ali 

 the mischief in his power. Then the person who was 

 to execute his doom slept forth. This office was con- 

 sidered as peculiarly honourable, and was assigned to 

 the most distinguished character in the nation. This 

 person comes in his most splendid war dress, waving 

 with varied coloured plumes, and with a large club 

 in his hand. He then addresses the captive : " Here 

 am I, that have killed many of thy nation, and will 

 kill thee :" to which the other replies, " You do' 

 well, I have slain a multitude of your countrymen 

 and have devoured them ; you do well, but my death 

 will be revenged." After this mutual defiance, the 

 fatal blow is instantly struck ; and after the necessary 

 preparations, the inhuman feast begins, amid univer- 

 sal delight and triumph. The bones are carefully 

 preserved, and are fashioned into various ornaments 

 of necklaces, bracelets, and musical instruments. 

 The heads are also preserved, and piled up in a cor- 

 ner, to be shewn to every stranger, as testimonies of 

 their prowess and success. 



Their arms were necessarily imperfect from their 

 ignorance of iron ; yet they had called forth the 



Brail. 



