QuiCHiTA Indians. Ill 



ory of the Incas. Three Indians, fantastically adorned 

 with embroidered garments, plumed head-dresses, and gold 

 and silver tinsel, representing Atahuallpa and his generals, 

 danced to music of the rudest kind, one individual pound- 

 ing on a drum and blowing on a pipe at the same time. 

 Before them went three clowns, or diahlos, with masks, fit 

 caricatures of the Spaniards. Like all other Indian feasts, 

 this ended in getting gradually and completely di'unk. 

 During the ceremony a troop of horsemen, gayly dressed, 

 and headed by one in regimentals with a cocked hat, gal- 

 loped twice around the Plaza, throwing oranges at the 

 people ; after which there was a bull-bait. 



The features of the Quichuans have a peculiar cast, 

 which resembles, in D'Orbigny's opinion, no other Amer- 

 ican but the Mexican, and some ethnologists trace a strik- 

 ing similarity to the natives of Van Diemen's Land. They 

 have an oblong head (longitudinally), somewhat com. 

 pressed at tlie sides and occiput ; short and very slightly 

 arched forehead ; prominent, long, aquiline nose, with large 

 nostrils ; large mouth, but not thick lips ; beautiful endur- 

 ing teeth ; short chin, but not receding ; cheek-bones not 

 prominent ; eyes horizontal, and never large ; eyebrows 

 long ; thick, straight, coarse, yet soft jet black hair ; little or 

 no beard ; a long, broad, deep, highly-arched chest ; small 

 hands and feet ; short stature, seldom reaching five feet, 

 and the women still shorter ; a mulatto color (olive-brown 

 says D'Orbigny, bronze says Humboldt), and a sad, serious 

 expression. Tlieir broad chests and square shoTilders re- 

 mind one of the gorilla ; but we find that, unlike the an- 

 thropoid ape, they have very weak arms ; their strength 

 lies in their backs and legs. They have shrewdness and 

 penetration, but lack independence and force. We never 

 heard one sing.* Always submissive to your face, taking 



* Their favorite musical instrument is the rondador, a number of reeds of 



