20 On the Aborigines of Brazil. 



great and varied emotions, the deep-seated and mixed 

 feelings which regulate and influence the life and action of 

 the European, are in great measure unknown to the savage. 

 He lives an uniform life, varied by but a few emotions. 

 Hate and jealousy are the feelings, which when they gain 

 the mastery of his soul, cause violent perturbations, and 

 cloud to the very night of animalism, his dark or only 

 partially-lit conscience. The Indian, it is true, knows 

 that higher impulse of civilized man the love of glory, and 

 often acts under its influence; but it would almost appear 

 that he can only manifest negatively this natural love 

 for distinction and praise. The Indian rests his claim 

 to glory on stoical indifference to bodily sufferings, and on 

 savage contempt of death. His finer and nobler feelings are 

 often purely instinctive. Thus numberless acts of maternal 

 love, which come under this head, are chiefly the result of 

 direct instinctive emotions.* I cannot deny to this degrad- 

 ed race conjugal love and fidelity, as among their higher 

 qualities ; but the Brazilians, who live near them, do not 

 give them credit even for this, any more than for a delicate 

 and powerful sense of right, which the Indians may display 

 perhaps in their intercourse with each other, but not with 

 men of other races. Modesty is undoubtedly a trait of the 

 Indian, but, strangely enough, it is not confined to the sexu- 

 al relations, but also embraces certain physical necessities, 

 which he endeavours with the greatest care to conceal from 

 the eye of a second party, f If then we take a general view 

 of all the feelings and emotions which occur in an Indian's 

 life, we come to the conclusion, that they are few and uniform, 

 descending unaltered from race to race, along with the rude 

 unvarying occupations of the Nomadic warrior and hunts- 

 man, in one vitious circle, in which he ever turns round, 



* Why should they not get as much credit for their maternal love as civilized 

 nations do ? — Tr. 

 t He covers up hia excrement like a cat. 





