A FORTY DAYS' RIDE 229 



com, and sweet potatoes. Formerly they were far more 

 numerous, but an incessant warfare with the neighboring 

 tribes and contact with the outside world have thinned 

 their ranks until they are well on the road to extinc- 

 tion. Some of them wore clothes, while many wore only a 

 breech-cloth of their own weaving. They also make 

 hammocks and various articles for useful or ornamental 

 purposes. 



In statm-e the Parecis is rather short, but he is well built 

 and sturdy. His color is a Ught shade of brown. The 

 youths of the tribe engaged in a curious game of head-ball, 

 using for the purpose a hollow rubber sphere a foot in diam- 

 eter, manufactured by themselves. They chose sides and 

 batted the ball back and forth across a line with their 

 heads. At no time were the hands or feet used to strike 

 or kick the ball. They displayed remarkable dexterity and 

 tireless energy at this form of amusement; if the ball came 

 bounding along the ground they made headlong dives for 

 it like a baseball-player shding to home plate. 



One evening just before sundown practically all of the 

 men joined in a sacred dance. On this occasion they were 

 clothed in gaudy red head-bands, bead neck-chains and 

 belts, also anklets made of bimches of curious dry seeds 

 that kept up a continuous rattling soimd as the dancers 

 stamped in rhythm with the low, sighing music of reed 

 flutes. They stopped at short intervals to drink chicha, and 

 during certain parts of the dance they sang the names of 

 their dead warriors and mighty hunters, calling upon them 

 for guidance and assistance. We had previously seen a 

 blue-and-yellow macaw about the village; it had the run of 

 the place and seemed to be a great favorite with everybody. 

 While the dance was in progress the bird sat disconsolately 

 on top of one of the huts. Then we discovered that the 

 Indians had pulled out its tail-feathers and used them to 

 decorate their head-dresses. 



The women were not permitted to witness the first part 

 of the performance, but later the dancers visited each home 



