BOWS AND ARROWS IN CENTRAL BRAZIL. 571 



a wrapping of bast. The upper end is oftimes channeled, and in the 

 cavity a double piece of bone is fastened by means of a wrapping of 

 fine thread cemented over, after the customary manner on the Shingu 

 (PI. LIX, fig. 6). In another kind of arrows there is on the point of 

 the fore shaft a long, similar strong bamboo point, with half moon, 

 concavo-convex cross section tied on by means of neat wrapping of 

 thread around the tang, and the fore shaft is packed in a furrow cut out. 



The bamboo point resembles precisely in form the one mentioned as 

 belonging to the Baccairi on the Shingu. (PI. LVII, fig. 13.) Still a 

 direct connection is excluded. Where the common origin is to be sought 

 can not be conjectured. Also are seen arrows with a simple stick of hard 

 wood sharpened and stuck iu the front end of the shaft. The feathering 

 is very similar to the Caraja style (PI. LIX, figs. 8, 9) ; two whole feathers 

 almost 20 cm. long, opposite each other, are wrapped fast to the shaft 

 with thread in slightly spiral arrangement, and the points of the 

 feathers stick out at the butt end in form of a tuft. The decoration of 

 the lower part of the shaft, and much of the fore shaft with wide spiral 

 and longitudinal lines painted in black and yellow lac-like colors, is also 

 abundantly practiced by the Caraja. The nock, which is cylindrical on 

 the Caraja arrows, is here, as on the Tocantins and Tapajoz, continued 

 to a point. 



The Caraja, whose linguistic affiliation with the Ges group is not yet 

 made out, are, as Ehrenreich's collection proves, surely to be accredited 

 to it ethnographically. Bows and arrows show the characteristics of 

 the eastern type and correspond almost entirely with those of Crahaos 

 and Chavantes, their eastern neighbors, belonging to the Ges or Tapuya 

 stock. The predilection of the tribes belonging to this group for the 

 use of bast for fastening feathers, fore shafts, and bamboo points, which 

 is to be seen on the Shingu Eiver, is also in bold relief in the Caraja 

 crafts. The wooden point, with unilateral barbs, characteristic of the 

 Ges of the southeast (cf. PI. LVII, fig. 12), which had penetrated 

 already to the Kamayura and arrived among the Suya, is not found 

 among the Caraja. Only the arrow originating from the hordes of 

 the Aruma, which Von den Steinen got on the Shingu, shows this Ges 

 point. 



The bow is beautifully wrought out of dark-brown palm wood and 

 decorated with feathers and ornamental wrappings of thread. (PI. 

 LIX, figs. 1-5.) In the manipulation of the material, the circular cross 

 section flattened occasionally on the back, and the peg-shaped ends 

 characterize excellently the South Brazilian bow of the Botocudo and 

 Puri. However, near the Caraja and thence to the Shingu and south 

 to the Cayapo, it shows fundamental dex>endences on the bow types 

 there. It is slightly bent, about 2 m. long, and strung with a strong 

 cord twisted from threads, which is knotted on one end and on the 

 other encircles the peg, then returns on the back of the bow about half- 

 way, as was seen on the Singu, where it is made secure under seizings. 

 The lower end of this wrapping is decorated with a compact layer of 



