Aug. 20, 1875.] "iod [Gabb. 



OlSr THE 



II^DIAN TRIBES AND LANGUAGES 

 OF COSTA RICA. 



BY WM. M. GABB. 



{Bead before the American PMlosopMcal Society, August 20, 1875.) 



Chapter 1. 



GENERAL ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES. 



The Indians of Costa Rica, with, the hardly probable exception of the 

 Guatusos, all belong to one closely allied family. I only make this possi- 

 ble exception in deference to the almost absolute ignorance which yet 

 exists in regard to this isolated tribe. 



Before entering on the consideration of the better known peoples of the 

 southern part of the Republic, it maybe as well to make a brief summary 

 of what is known of the Guatusos up to the present time. They occupy 

 a part of the broad plains noi-th and east of the high volcanic chain of 

 North-Western Costa Rica, and south of the great lake of Nicaragua, espe- 

 cially about the head waters of the Rio Frio. I have fortunately fallen in 

 with various persons who have entered their country, and who have had an 

 opportunity of seeing the people and their mode of life. The stories of 

 some are so evidently exaggerated that I shall suppress them ; but by 

 carefully sifting the evidence and giving a due preponderance to the testi- 

 mony of those whom I consider most reliable, I have arrived at the fol- 

 lowing results. 



Thomas Belt, the author of "The Naturalist in Nicaragua," says he 

 has seen of them, five children and one large boy, * ' and they all had the 

 common Indian features and hair ; though it struck me that they ap- 

 peai-ed rather more intelligent than the generality of Indians." He also 

 says that "one little child that Dr. Seeman and I saw in San Carlos in 

 A. p. S. — ^VOL. XIV. 3k 



