40 THE ANDES OF SOUTHERN PERU 



thority over the forest Indians they had close relations with them. 

 Land grants were made to white pioneers for special services or 

 through sale and with the land often went the right to exploit the 

 people on it. Some of the concessions were owned by people who 

 for generations knew nothing save by hearsay of the Indians who 

 dwelt in the great forests of the valleys. In later years they have 

 been exploring their lands and establishing so-called relations 

 whereby the savage "buys" a dollar's worth of powder or knives 

 for whatever number of dollars' worth of rubber the owner may 

 care to extract from him. 



The forest Indian is still master of his lands throughout most 

 of the Machiganga country. He is cruelly enslaved at the rubber 

 posts, held by the loose bonds of a desultory trade at others, and 

 in a few places, as at Pongo de Mainique, gives service for both 

 love and profit, but in many places it is impossible to establish con- 

 trol or influence. The lowland Indian never falls into the abject 

 condition of his Quechua brother on the plateau. He is self-re- 

 liant, proud, and independent. He neither cringes before a white 

 nor looks up to him as a superior being. I was greatly impressed 

 by the bearing of the first of the forest tribes I met in August, 

 1911, at Santo Anato. I had built a brisk fire and was enjoying 

 its comfort when La Sama returned with some Indians whom he 

 had secured to clear his playa. The tallest of the lot, wearing a 

 colored band of deer skin around his thick hair and a gaudy bunch 

 of yellow feathers down his back, came up, looked me squarely in 

 the eye, and asked 



"Tatiry payta?" (What is your name?) 



When I replied he quietly sat down by the fire, helping himself 

 to the roasted corn I had prepared in the hot ashes. A few days 

 later when we came to the head of a rapid I was busy sketching-in 

 my topographic map and did not hear his twice repeated request 

 to leave the boat while the party reconnoitered the rapid. Watch- 

 ing his opportunity he came alongside from the rear — he was 

 steersman — and, turning just as he was leaving the boat, gave me 

 a whack in the forehead with his open palm. La Sama saw the 

 motion and protested. The surly answer was : 



