INHABITANIS OF ECUADOR. 245 



hmcas or tolas (" graves " or " barrows") have at least been discovered, and unfortu- 

 nately eagerl}'' rifled of their contents by treasure-seekers. Even the " Castles of 

 the Incas," which had been erected in various parts of south Ecuador, have been 

 systematically destroyed by the inhabitants of the neighbouring towns in the 

 hope of finding gold, afterwards using them as convenient quarries. In several 

 places archoDologists have re-discovered sections of the highways laid down by the 

 Incas ; but they are not built with the same care as those of Peru itself, being, in 

 fact, little more than tracks along which little posts or guard-houses were erected 

 at long intervals. 



In the eastern regions on the Amazonian slope, the uncivilised tribes are still 

 reckoned by the dozen, or even by the hundred were account to be taken of all 

 the ethnical names collected at various times by travellers, missionaries and 

 administrators. But many of these designations often refer to one and the 

 same group, at one time mentioned by its proper tribal name, at another 

 by that given to it by its neighbours, or else by that of some river, mountain, 

 or forest, or even by some nickname in allusion to personal peculiarities, habits 

 or customs. 



But despite their interminable nomenclature nearly all these Indians are 

 thinly scattered, not in Ecuador proper, but in the Amazonian regions contested 

 by Colombia, Peru or Brazil. Only a very small number dwell in undisputed 

 Ecuadorean territory, and even these have representatives of their race beyond 

 the frontiers. They form two social and political groups — reduced and " salt- 

 eating " Indians, and Injieles ("Infidels"), called also Aucas, a term formerly 

 applied by the Quichuas to the independent populations, such as the Orejones, 

 Encabellados and others who made no use of salt. 



Most famous of these rude tribes were the Jivaros (Xibaros, Gibaros), who 

 were formerly grouped in several stations round about the missions. The ruins 

 of churches on the banks of the Paute and of the Santiago, in south-east Ecuador, 

 still recall the time of their complete subjection to the authorities. But towards 

 the close of the sixteenth century they rose in mass under their chief, Quirruba, 

 and massacred the whites, sparing the women alone. 



Since then, driv^en eastwards by the planters from the Loja plateau, they have 

 roamed the forests between the Pastaza gorges and the Pongo de Manseriche. 

 Till recently they were reported to be very numerous ; according to one account 

 as many as 500,000, distributed in 400 tribal groups, and capable of mustering 

 150,000 armed warriors. But in reality they probably number less than one- 

 hundredth of the latter figure. 



The Jivaros, whose speech is absolutely distinct from the Quichua, and who 

 have been afiiliated by D'Orbigny, Hamy and other anthropologists to the great 

 Guarani family, are a fine race, living on the produce of the chase, of fishing, 

 and their swine. Proud of their personal appearance, they embellish themselves 

 with paint, usually red on a black ground, with plumes, bead necklaces, and 

 bits of reed inserted in their ear-lobe. They are distinguished from most 

 other wild tribes by their industrious habits, occupying nearly all the time spared 



