258 AMAZONIA AND LA PLATA. 



search of ipecacuanha and other medicinal plants. Skilled weavers and workers 

 in straw or fibre, they make excellent baskets, panniers, textile fabrics, hammocks, 

 and various other objects, which they sell to the settled populations of the 

 plains. 



A more savage people are the Bororos, who formerly occupied the Upper Jauru 

 and Cabaçal valleys, but who are now stationed on the banks of the S. Lourenço, 

 in the colony of Thereza Christina. These rude natives, who add to their fierce 

 expression by daubing the face red and slitting the lips, are firm believers in the 

 transmigration of souls. They regard themselves as the brothers of the parra- 

 keets, who are never killed ; but the vultures receive the souls of departed negroes, 

 while great sorcerers pass into the bodies of bright coloured fishes. Shooting stars 

 are supposed to portend the death of some member of the tribe. 



The central parts of Matto Grosso at the foot of the plateaux are occupied by 

 the Guatos, some of whom are still in the wild state. They are physically a fine 

 race, resembling Europeans more than the other aborigines. Formerly they wore 

 a lip ornament like that of the Botocudos, and still deck themselves with neck- 

 laces of jaguar and crocodile teeth, but dispense with all clothing except in the 

 neighbourhood of the white settlements. The Guatos, whose name appears to 

 mean " Watermen," are unrivalled boatmen, passing a great part of their exis- 

 tence on the lakes and rivers, and living chiefly on the jacaré crocodile and wild 

 rice. To this diet is attributed the odour of musk which they emit. The Guatos 

 are so expert in taming wild animals and birds that they seem to have the power 

 of charming them. Although nominal Christians, they are said still to gather in 

 sacred places, especially the summit of the Serra de Dourados and the islands of 

 Lake Uberaba. 



Although of different speech, the Guanes of the Taquary and Miranda Valleys 

 are, perhaps, akin to the southern Guaycurus. At present they are little better 

 than serfs, employed by the white settlers to collect drugs, build boats, plant 

 manioc, beans, bananas, and the sugar cane. They also distil rum, and weave a 

 cotton fabric of such close texture as to be perfectly waterproof. In these pcnuiocs, 

 as they are called, the warp is completely concealed by the weft. 



The Guanes no longer paint their bodies, mutilate their ears and other mem- 

 bers; but none of these practices had fallen into abeyance before the second half 

 of the present century. Till recently, the Laianos, a sub-tribe dwelling in the 

 vicinity of Miranda, covered the whole body with while, red, or black paint- 

 ings, executed with remarkable delicacy. Some of the designs represented 

 various animals, to which the artist endeavoured to impart a fierce look, doubt- 

 less in order to terrify the enemy. They worshipped the constellation of the 

 Pleiads. The Guane language is extremely soft, but without any energ}'-, and 

 every sentence usually terminates in a prolonged sound, which, to strangers, 

 resembles a groan. The Guane is evidently not the language of a free people. 



In the southern districts, near Paraguay, dwell various tribes who have received 

 the collective name of Guaycuru, a term said to mean " Punners." They are the 

 same people whom the Guarani called Mbaya, " Terrible," or " Bad," and to whom 



