On the Aborigines of Brazil* 5 



efface in the mind of the observer. Thus, even to this day, 

 after the lapse of many years, the picture of my fisrt meeting 

 with the Brazilian savage remains fresh in my imagination, 

 and I find, that the sketches, which my deceased companion 

 Von Spix and myself drew, under the influence of our first 

 impressions, are the best calculated to give a correct view 

 of his physical constitution.* I mean, therefore, to insert 

 here the most important parts of our description of them, 

 but must remark, that the Coroados, whom we first met, are, 

 comparatively speaking, a weak persecuted race, and that 

 the description of the Indians given in that part of our 

 travels (vol. i. p. 375), cannot be regarded as a favourable 

 one. 



General View of the Physical Constitution of the Brazilian 



Aborigines* 



The Brazilian savages are on the whole, as compared 

 with Europeans, of smaller or more middling stature. The 

 men are four feet ten inches to five feet five inches, the 

 women four feet three inches to four feet ten inches in 

 height. They are all of a strong, broad, and compact make. 

 This stature is generally pretty uniform in a tribe ; we rarely 

 observe one or two individuals more than half a head taller 

 than their comrades. On the whole, they appear to the 

 eye of an European taller than they really are, owing to 

 their going naked. The head is proportionally large, the 

 trunk muscular. The neck short and strong, the chest arched 

 and fleshy. The women's breasts firm and not so pendulous 

 as those of negresses, the belly well arched and prominent, 



* It is now, we believe, more than 20 years since Von Martius left Brazil. Some 

 rather vague and general description in this paper may be fairly attributed to the 

 length of time that has elapsed since his visit. Still, besides the interest which it 

 possesses of its own, this sketch may furnish many useful hints to parties having 

 the opportunity or the inclination to describe any of the tribes of India, for instance, 

 the Hill, (may we say the aboriginal ?) races. The translator has here and there 

 added a few notes, chiefly on points of obvious analogy.— Tr, 



