﻿Vol.2] 
  TRIBES 
  OF 
  ECUADOR 
  — 
  MURRA 
  803 
  

  

  fishing 
  and 
  root 
  gathering. 
  Undoubtedly, 
  fishing 
  was 
  important; 
  

   fish 
  were 
  consumed 
  locally 
  and 
  were 
  traded, 
  along 
  with 
  salt, 
  to 
  the 
  

   peoples 
  of 
  the 
  interior. 
  But 
  other 
  evidence 
  paints 
  them 
  as 
  a 
  folk 
  

   rich 
  in 
  jewelry 
  of 
  gold 
  and 
  silver 
  with 
  set-in 
  emeralds, 
  skilled 
  weavers 
  

   of 
  cotton 
  cloth, 
  inspired 
  molders 
  of 
  elaborate 
  ceramics, 
  and 
  agile 
  

   maneuverers 
  of 
  dugout 
  canoes. 
  Nevertheless, 
  the 
  Esmeralda 
  were 
  

   probably 
  noticeably 
  poorer 
  than 
  their 
  commercially 
  minded 
  Coastal 
  

   neighbors 
  to 
  the 
  south. 
  They 
  were 
  easily 
  distinguished 
  from 
  the 
  

   Manta 
  as 
  they 
  did 
  not 
  tattoo 
  their 
  faces 
  and 
  did 
  not 
  wear 
  a 
  colodrillo 
  

   (a 
  crown 
  of 
  colored 
  cotton, 
  sometimes 
  interwoven 
  with 
  gold 
  and 
  silver 
  

   thread), 
  both 
  common 
  to 
  the 
  south. 
  The 
  Esmeralda 
  deformed 
  their 
  

   heads 
  fronto-occipitally, 
  believing 
  it 
  gave 
  them 
  health 
  and 
  endurance. 
  

   Like 
  other 
  Coast 
  groups, 
  they 
  wore 
  earrings, 
  labrets, 
  and 
  nose 
  plugs 
  

   of 
  gold 
  and 
  silver. 
  We 
  have 
  no 
  data 
  on 
  their 
  social, 
  political, 
  and 
  

   religious 
  organization. 
  

  

  THE 
  MANTA 
  

  

  Habitat 
  and 
  divisions. 
  — 
  The 
  name 
  Manta 
  was 
  given 
  by 
  Kivet 
  and 
  

   Verneau 
  to 
  the 
  trading 
  peoples 
  along 
  most 
  of 
  Ecuador's 
  Coast. 
  The 
  

   chroniclers 
  had 
  no 
  generic 
  name 
  for 
  these 
  Indians, 
  Cieza 
  calling 
  them 
  

   "those 
  with 
  tattooed 
  faces" 
  and 
  the 
  "Indians 
  of 
  Porto 
  Viejo." 
  Jij6n 
  

   prefers 
  to 
  call 
  them 
  Liga 
  de 
  Mercaderos, 
  the 
  League 
  of 
  the 
  Traders, 
  

   which 
  is 
  probably 
  the 
  best 
  name, 
  as 
  Manta 
  was 
  merely 
  one 
  of 
  many 
  

   settlements 
  inhabited 
  and 
  controlled 
  by 
  these 
  people. 
  

  

  Some 
  Manta 
  settlements, 
  mentioned 
  by 
  Cieza, 
  were: 
  Passaos 
  

   (Papagayos?), 
  Jaramijo, 
  Pimpaguace, 
  Peclansemeque, 
  Jagua 
  Valley, 
  

   Pechonse, 
  Monte 
  Cristi, 
  Apechingue, 
  Silos, 
  Canilloha 
  (Canilope), 
  

   Manta, 
  Sapil, 
  Manabi, 
  and 
  Jaraguazo. 
  

  

  Pizarro's 
  seagoing 
  scout, 
  Bartolome 
  Ruiz, 
  left 
  another 
  list 
  of 
  trading 
  

   settlements 
  which, 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  several 
  towns 
  listed 
  above, 
  includes: 
  

   Calonge, 
  Tusco, 
  Saracapaz, 
  Salango, 
  San 
  Mateo, 
  Atacames, 
  Nancabez, 
  

   Tovirsimi, 
  Toloma, 
  Quisimios 
  (Cojimies), 
  Coaque, 
  Arampajaos, 
  

   Pintagua, 
  Tonconjes, 
  Caraslobes, 
  Canes, 
  Amatospe 
  (Apelope), 
  and 
  

   Doca. 
  Ruiz's 
  list 
  extends 
  the 
  domain 
  of 
  the 
  traders 
  into 
  Esmeralda 
  

   country 
  and 
  incorporates 
  the 
  Tacame, 
  who, 
  according 
  to 
  Cabello 
  

   Balboa, 
  lived 
  beyond 
  the 
  Cabo 
  Pasado. 
  

  

  Language. 
  — 
  The 
  anonymous 
  author 
  of 
  a 
  description 
  of 
  Guayaquil 
  

   (Torres 
  de 
  Mendoza, 
  1868) 
  and 
  Oviedo 
  state 
  that 
  all 
  the 
  maritime 
  

   Indians 
  spoke 
  the 
  same 
  language. 
  Other 
  observers 
  emphasize 
  that 
  

   there 
  was 
  considerable 
  dialectical 
  differentiation 
  on 
  the 
  Coast 
  but 
  

   note 
  that 
  mutual 
  comprehension 
  was 
  possible. 
  The 
  Quito 
  Synod 
  

   meeting 
  in 
  1593 
  assigned 
  several 
  priests 
  to 
  study 
  eight 
  native 
  lan- 
  

   guages, 
  including 
  one, 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  conversion 
  of 
  the 
  Coast 
  groups, 
  

   which 
  they 
  called 
  Tallana. 
  Jijon 
  has 
  suggested 
  that 
  Tallana 
  which, 
  

   like 
  other 
  native 
  Coast 
  languages, 
  is 
  now 
  extinct, 
  belonged 
  to 
  his 
  

  

  