2U AMAZONIA AND LA PLATA. 



colonisation, some of the Guarani Indians, who had come originally from the 

 south, have retraced their steps in the direction of the Upper Parana. A few 

 families, immigrants from Paraguay, now dwell in the western forests of the 

 State of S. Paulo, and these do good service as boatmen in forvvarding merchan- 

 dise by the water highway. But they nowhere group themselves in villages 

 under the control of the whites, aud they al^o keep aloof from the surrounding 

 aborigines. 



The aborigines, who continued to lead a savage existence in the forests and on 

 the campos, collectively called Bugres by the Brazilians, belong to three distinct 

 families : Chavantes, Cayuas or Cayovas, and Coroados. It is uncertain whether 

 the Chavantes are of the same stock as those bearing the same name on the banks 

 of the Araguaya and Tocantins. Their Coroado neighbours call them Cucurton, 

 that is, " Unclothed." They are noted for their repulsive features and nearly 

 black colour, and lead a wretcbed existence, without huts or tents, cultivating no 

 land, and living on roots, fruits, lizards, and rats. During the dry season they 

 fire the savannas, and kill with branches all the small animals that try to escape 

 the conflagrations. They pass whole days digging for the honey of a little 

 burrowing bee, using for the purpose the scraps of iron they steal from the 

 settlers. 



In S. Paulo and Parana the Paranapanema basin is paitly occupied by about 

 3,000 Cayuas, who are certainly of Tupi origin, their Abanheenga language 

 differing little from the lingua gcval. Several members of the tribe are now asso- 

 ciated with the whites, and take part in the field operations ; but they have the 

 reputation of being extremely sensitive, so that the colonists have to be constantly 

 on their guard to avoid giving them offence. 



The Cayuas are expert boatmen and daring swimmers, and display great skill 

 in shooting the rapids. They weave excellent robes or blankets with nettle fibre, 

 make good earthenware, and cultivate a variety of maize unknown to the whites. 

 They reckon by sevens, and still wear the tembeta or cheviinbita, a stick of resin 

 introduced into the lower lip, and looking like a long thorn. Similar ornaments 

 of transparent quartz or other hard material are used in various other parts of 

 Brazil, and the practice w'as formerly far more general, perhaps universal, 

 amongst the populations of the whole region between the Amazons and the 

 Parana. 



To the third indigenous group of S. Paulo the Brazilians apply the name of 

 Coroados, " Crowned " ; but these Coroados are of different stock from other tribes 

 similarly designated, such as those who formerly occupied the State of Santa 

 Catharina, and who have left Tupi names to all the rivers of that region. The 

 term has reference merely to the common fashion of wearing the hair in form of a 

 crown round a tonsure on top of the head. 



The Paranapanema Coroados are a thick-set, vigorous race, with broid 

 shoulders, large head, powerful jaws, and small eyes. In fact, they present a 

 1yj)e somewhat analogous to that of the Asiatic Mongols, whereas most of the 

 Tupis have the eagle-like ph3'siognomy of the North-American Bedskins. 



