CONIBO DANDY. 



197 



short jaws and rather small mouth. The tongue, when dried, is as hard 

 as bone, and is commonally used as a rasp. The scales of the belly and 

 tail are bordered with a bright red streak, which makes the fish appear 

 to be nearly encircled with a number of scarlet rings, and gives it a very 

 pretty appearance. (It is called pirarucu in Brazil.) 



Just below Sta. Maria is the mouth of a creek, or small channel of the 

 river, which, cutting across a narrow neck of land, connects two parts of 

 a great bend of the river. These canals across an isthmus are called by 

 the Indians tepishka. This one is only navigable when the river is full. 



Two hours after leaving Sta. Maria we arrived at a beach where 

 there was an establishment of Senhor Cauper's, for salting fish. These 

 establishments are called factorias. A nephew of the old man has 

 been here for two months, attending to the business. Instead of 

 employing the Infidels, he brings Indians of Xauta with him — people 

 generally who are in Mr. Cauper's debt. Twenty-five Indians collect 

 and salt four thousand pieces of fish in six weeks. 



Bought fifty pieces at six and a quarter cents for the support of my 

 peons. From eight last night to six this morning, the river rose but 

 two inches, and seems to be now falling. 



The Indians on this river have in their houses cotton, maize, ground 

 peas, (mani,) sweet potatoes, yuccas, plantains, fowls and fish, bows and 

 arrows, lances, clubs, paddles, and pretty baskets made of cane. The 

 women weave their own clothes, and those of their husbands, and manage 

 to paint figures and devices on the cotton after it is woven. The Pirros 

 and Conibos seem taller than they really are, on account of their cos- 

 tume, which is a long cotton gown. I have seen a fellow in one of 

 these gowns, slowly striding over a beach, look, at a distance, like a 

 Roman patrician in his " toga." 



October 10. — River fell last night four inches. Stopped on Puiri 

 island to breakfast. There is a pretty little lake occupying nearly the 

 whole centre of the island. We passed through a shallow and narrow 

 arm of the river between Puiri island and the right bank. River a 

 quarter of a mile wide above the island. 



Met a Conibo, with his wife and two children, on the beach. This 

 man was evidently the dandy of his tribe. He was painted with a 

 broad stripe of red under each eye ; three narrow stripes of blue were 

 carried from one ear, across the upper lip, to the other — the two lower 

 stripes plain, and the upper one bordered with figures. The whole of 

 the lower jaw and chin were painted with a blue chain- work of figures, 

 something resembling Chinese figures. Around his neck was a broad 

 tight necklace of black and white beads, with a breastplate of the 



