INHABITANTS OF BOLIVIA. 373 



tino-uished by a remarkably equable disposition, a frank and upright character 

 and o-reat industry. They give up less time to merrymaking than their southern 

 kinsfolk, and are generally of more laborious habits. Hence their industries are 

 greatly developed, and although living far from the large towns and markets, 

 the Mojos excel all the other Indians as weavers, builders and wood-carvers. 

 They even probably surpass the Chinese themselves, as well as all other people, 

 in the surprising skill with which they can work on given models ; but they lack 

 the inventive faculty, as is so often the case with good imitators. 



According to Viedma, an explorer quoted by D'Orbigny and by most other 

 writers on Bolivia, the Mojos were acquainted with a sort of writing system, 

 which consisted of strokes drawn on tablets. Their language is at once more 

 guttural and far less rich than that of the Chiquitos. Some of their tribes not 

 engaged in commercial pursuits were even unable to reckon above five, some 

 stopping at three or four. 



All the Mojos dwelling within the Bolivian frontiers number collectively 

 about 30,000 ; this figure should be perhaps doubled to include the kindred tribes 

 living in Brazil and the northern forests nominally belonging to Bolivia. 

 Formerly they were far more numerous ; but, like so many other nations, they 

 were reduced more by the epidemics following in the wake of the missionaries 

 than by wars and massacres, from which they were always protected by their 

 swampy domain, lying beyond the routes generally taken by the gold-hunters, 

 slave-dealers and other adventurers. 



They accepted the administration of the Jesuit priests with perfect submission, 

 and on no occasion ever attempted to shake off the yoke. Their own primitive 

 religion was complicated by some atrocious superstitions. Thus, women suffering 

 a miscarriage were doomed to death, and the sacrifice had to be made by their 

 husbands. When twins were born they also were destroyed, on the ground that 

 such births showed them to be mere animals. Occasionally on the death of the 

 mother the new-born babe was buried alive with her. 



Their religion was pure nature- worship. They believed they had themselves 

 sprung from the lakes, the woods or the river- banks, and when navigating the 

 streams they were always seeking to return to their birth-place. Every village, 

 every family had its gods in the air or under the ground, or amongst the living 

 creatures inhabiting the streams and forests. 



At present most of the Mojos are zealous or even fanatical Eoman Catholics ; 

 during Holy Week they scourge themselves or otherwise mortify the flesh, sprink- 

 ling their blood on the steps of shrines and altars. The influence of the Catholic 

 system appears to have completely modified their political status. Formerly the 

 caciques had no authority, whereas now, as agents of the priests, they exercise 

 absolute power. Their least word is a command, and " the rod has not been given 

 them in vain." But to priestly influence has succeeded that of the traders, espe- 

 cially since the fi-uitless works undertaken to turn the rapids of the Madeira by 

 means of a railway. 



The Mojos are found so useful as boatmen that efforts have naturally been 



