BHASIL. 



4U 



BrasiL utmost exertions of savage ingenuity. The most 

 v - important, was a species of club, called taeape, form- 

 ed of Brasil wood, or of a species of black ebony, 

 very weighty, round at the extremity, and sharp at 

 the sides. It was six feet long, and about an inch 

 thick. They had shields made of skins, broad, flat, 

 and round. For missile weapons, they had arrows, 

 composed of the same hard wood with their clubs. 

 The strings were made of a particular species of 

 grass, and twisted so strongly, that a traveller de- 

 clares, a horse might draw by them. Their arrows 

 were six feet long ; the head and point formed of 

 black wood, the middle of common wood, and these 

 different pieces are very neatly joined with thin bark 

 of trees. They had two pennons, each a foot long, 

 neatly tied with cotton thread. They, were pointed, 

 either with bone, with hard and dried canes in the 

 form of a lancet, or with the tail of the ray fish, which 

 has a strongly poisonous quality. They had also a 

 certain species of military ensigns, and drew a warlike 

 music from flutes made of the bones of their enemies. 

 Battles. Although they preferred the mode of warfare by 

 ambuscade, yet, in case of necessity, they hesitated 

 not to meet their enemies in the open field ; and a 

 most extraordinary spectacle then ensued. A French 

 traveller, who was an eye witness of one of these 

 combats, has given a very curious and lively descrip- 

 tion of it, which we shall translate for the use of 

 our readers, preserving, as much as possible, the 

 naivete of the original. 



" Having been myself a spectator," says Lery, 

 " I can speak with truth. Another Frenchman and 

 I, though in danger, had we been taken or killed, 

 of being eaten by the Margajas, had once the curi- 

 osity to accompany our savages, then about four 

 thousand in number, in a skirmish which happened 

 on the sea coast ; and we saw these barbarians com- 

 bating with such fury, that people mad or out of 

 their senses could not do worse. First, when our 

 people had perceived the enemy at about half a quar- 

 ter of a league's distance, they took to howling in 

 such a manner, that though it had thundered in hea- 

 ven we should not have heard it. According as they 

 approached, redoubling their cries, sounding their 

 drums, stretching their arms, throwing out dreadful 

 threats, and showing to each other the bones of the 

 prisoners whom they had eaten, and even their teeth 

 strung together hung round their neck : it was horrible 

 to see their countenance ; but it was much worse when 

 they, came near each other ; for, when at the distance 

 of two or three hundred paces, they saluted each 

 .other with great showers of arrows ; and by the first 

 discharge, you would have seen the air entirety load- 

 ed with them. Those whom they struck, tore them 

 from their body with wonderful courage, broke them, 

 bit them with their teeth, and failed not to make 

 head in spite of their wounds ; upon which, we must 

 observe, that these Indians are so furious in their 

 wars, that so long as they can stir legs or arms, they 

 cease not to combat, without retreating or turning 

 their backs. When they were joined in battle, you 

 might then see them wielding, in their two hands, 

 wooden clubs, and charging so furiously, that he who 

 jnet the head of his enemy, .not ouly threw him on 



Bra. 



the ground, but felled him, as butchers do oxen. 

 You will ask what my companion and I did during '- 

 this rough skirmish ? To conceal nothing, I answer, 

 that satisfied with our first folly, which was to risk 

 ourselves with these barbarians, and keeping in the 

 rear, we were only occupied in viewing the blows. 

 But though I had seen men at arms in France, both 

 on foot and horseback, I must say, that the polish- 

 ed movements, and glittering armour of our French- 

 men, never gave me so much pleasure as I had then 

 in seeing the savages combat. Besides their leaps, 

 their hissings, and their skilful thrusts, it was a won- 

 derful spectacle to see flying in the air so many ar- 

 rows, with their great pennons of plumes, red, blue, 

 green, carnation, and other colours, amid the rays 

 of the sun, which made them glitter, and to see also 

 so many helmets, bracelets, and other ornaments, 

 made of these natural plumes, with which the com- 

 batants were covered. 



" After the combat had lasted about three hours, 

 and that there had been a good number killed and 

 wounded on both sides, our Topinamboux having at 

 last gained the victory, made prisoners of more than 

 thirty Margajas, men and women, whom they carried 

 away into their country ; and although we two French- 

 men had done nothing but hold our naked swords in 

 our hands, and fire some pistol shots in the air to en- 

 courage our men, we saw that it was impossible to 

 do them a greater pleasure than to go to war with 

 them ; for they esteemed us so much afterwards, 

 that in the villages which we frequented, the old men 

 always testified more friendship to us. 



" The prisoners having been placed in the middle 

 of the victorious band, bound, in order to secure 

 them the better, we returned to our river of Janeiro, 

 in the neighbourhood of which these savages inha- 

 bited. As, we had gone twelve or fifteen leagues, 

 ask not, if, in passing through the villages ot our 

 allies, they came not out to meet us, dancing, leap- 

 ing, and clapping their hands to applaud and caress 

 us. The poor prisoners were obliged, according to 

 their custom, when they were near the houses, to 

 sing and say to the women, ' here is the food which 

 you love so much coming to you.' To conclude, 

 when we were arrived before our isle, my companion 

 and I went into a bark, and the savages went away, 

 each to their residence." 



In order to guard against the attacks with which 

 they were constantly threatened, the Brasilians were 

 accustomed to fortify their villages. The interior 

 inclosure was composed of a strong pallisade, before 

 which was thrown up a wall of loose stones. The 

 houses were pierced with holes, through which ar- 

 rows could pass. A Portuguese force which at- 

 tacked one of these forts, found its reduction ex- 

 tremely difficult. In consequence of the tunous sal- 

 lies of the Indians, they were obliged to entrench 

 themselves, and wait the arrival of succours from the 

 metropolis. Having covered themselves, however, 

 with hurdles of canes, which secured them against 

 arrows, they at last forced the walls, and became 

 masters of the place. 



This desperate ferocity with which the wars of Dora 

 these savages were conducted, might naturally lead 'iff. 



