114 AMAZONIA AND LA PLATA. 



Antilles, and whose origin had hitherto been sought in the West Indies, or even 

 in the North American continent. The Bakairi and their northern neighbours, 

 the Nahuquas, are the purest members of the Carib family, judging at least from 

 their speech, which has been least modified by foreign elements.* Although sur- 

 rounded by Tupi and other races, they keep so aloof that till quite recently they 

 still belonged to the stone age, with no knowledge of the metals, of the dog, of the 

 banana and many other edible fruits well known to their neighbours. They 

 smoke no tobacco and prepare no fermented drinks, while their earthenware is 

 greatly inferior to that of the kindred Roucouyennes of French Guiana. 



From all this Von den Steinen concludes that of all the Caribs, the Bakairi 

 stand nearest to the primitive stock and to the cradle of the race. The national 

 legends speak of migratory movements in the direction from south to north, and such 

 movements have taken place even in the contemporary period. The Araras scattered 

 along the south side of the Amazons have the same tattoo markings as the Bakairi, 

 a blue line crossing the cheek from the corner of the mouth to the outer angle of 

 the eyelid. 



Some of these primitive Caribs, converted to Christianity about the year 1820, 

 have at least adoj)ted a show of culture, and their chief, di-essed in an official 

 costume, has become a Brazilian captain. But there still remain some groups of 

 independent Bakairi, of peaceful habits, fond of music, and building straw huts 

 with a narrow entrance, like large bee-hives. Having little knowledge of the 

 industries, they procure various manufactured objects from their Suya neighbours, 

 who live farther down on the right bank of the Xingu. These Suyas are dis- 

 tinguished by their tall stature, physical strength, energy, and skill in making 

 pottery and wicker ware. 



On the Lower Xingu the chief people are the Yurunas of Tupi stock, formerly 

 cannibals, but now noted for their gentle disposition and hospitality. Nevertheless, 

 they still avoid contact with the whites, and continue to deck themselves with 

 glass bead necklaces, girdles, and pendants, and wear the hair plaited in a single 

 long pigtail. They are unsurpassed in taming animals, and every village is a 

 menagerie of tapirs, monkeys, agoutis, toucans, purrokeets, and other pets. The 

 Yurunas would be the happiest of mortals but for the raids of the fierce Carayas, 

 who infest the right bank of the Xingu, and who are akin to others of the same 

 name in the Araguay and Tocantins basins. 



Topography of Amazonia. 

 The impression produced on a traveller steaming up the Amazons is that of a 

 boundless solitude. Towns properly so called are extremely rare, and many 

 stations whose names are of frequent occurrence in books of travel are mere clusters 

 of cabins. Such is Tahatinga, the frontier post towards Peru, which consists of 

 two or three little dwellings and a half-ruined fort on the left bank of the Amazons, 

 here 1,600 yards wide. A somewhat large place is S. Paulo de Oiireiiça on the 



* Karl von flen Steinen, Durch cctitral BrasUUn ; Paul ElireDreich, Pctermawi' s MUtcihingen, 1891, 

 Hef D IV. 



