Gabb.] ^"'^ [Aug. 20, 



1870, had a few brownish hairs among the great mass of black ones ; but 

 this character may be found among many of the indigenes, and may result 

 from a very slight admixture of foreign blood." All the persons with 

 whom I have conversed assert that the name Guatuso, as applied to the 

 tribe, is given on account of a reddish or brown tint of their hair, resem- 

 bling the little animal of that name (the Agouti). This is also denied by 

 Mr. Belt, who says that the names of animals are often applied to Indian 

 tribes by their neighbors, to distinguish them. Allowing full weight to 

 this opinion, supported by analogy as it is in North America, (e. g. 

 Snakes,) I do not think it fully warranted in this case. 



Of half a dozen persons with whom I have conversed ; people who have 

 been on the upper Rio Frio, all, with one exception, distinctly assert that 

 they have seen people of light color and with comparatively light hair 

 among them. One pei'son went so far as to assert, that in a fracas in 

 which he nearly lost his life, his most valiant and dangerous opponent 

 was a young woman, a mere girl, "as white as an Englishwoman," (tan 

 rubia como una Inglesa). Another, who had a more peaceful opportunity 

 of seeing a party of two or three women, himself unseen, used the same 

 words in describing one of them. I believe, however, that these were ex- 

 aggerations. Still another x^erson told me that they were of all shades 

 ' ' from a rather light Indian color, to nearly white, the same as our- 

 selves" (referring to the varying shades in the mixed blood of the Costa 

 Rican peasantry). However, in an interesting conversation with Don 

 Tomas Guardia, President of Costa Rica, I learned that when, some years 

 ago, he headed a party passing through their country for military purposes, 

 they encountered one or more bodies of these people and had some 

 skirmishes with them. He says they are ordinarily of the color of other 

 Indians, although rare exceptions exist, of individuals markedly lighter 

 than the others, and really possessing a comparatively white skin and 

 brownish or reddish hair. This is in keeping with the statements made 

 to me by others whom I consider reliable, and must, I think, in defer- 

 ence to the authors be taken as final. 



The origin of light complexions among an isolated tribe of Indians has, 

 of course, been the source of much speculation, but General Guardia, and 

 Don Rafael Acosta, an intelligent gentleman of San Ramon, not far from 

 the borders of the Guatuso country, both suggested to me, independently, 

 the same theory. They claim that when, a couple of centuries ago, the 

 town of Esparza was sacked by the English freebooters, many of the in- 

 habitants took refuge in the mountains, and were never afterwards heard 

 of. These refugees were many of them pure whites, men and women. 

 Now from Esparza, it is only about three or four days' journey to the 

 borders of the Guatuso country, and it does not seem improbable that 

 some of these poor wretches may have found their way there. If this is 

 really the case, the admixture of blood, and consequent lightening of 

 color is satisfactorily accounted for. 



In consequence of almost uniform bad treatment, robbery and massacre 



