PROVINCE OF MATTO GROSSO. 



211 



same artifice when they pretend to know whether an invalid will die or recover, 

 and if good or ill success will attend an ensuing war. 



It is considered a beauty amongst these people to have no hair upon the eye- 

 brows, being particularly careful to extract it on its appearing. 



Their language abounds with words and phrases of soft and easy pronuncia-^ 

 tion. The women explain themselves at times differently to the men ; for in-^ 

 stance, in the expression of " Farewell, I am going," the latter say " sara gigo 

 oipilo,'' — the women, " sara gigo ioy 



There is nothing more remarkable amongst the Guaycurus than the inhuman 

 practice of the mothers in destroying the embryo on discovering their pregnancy^ 

 until they arrive at the age of thirty. The reason of this custom is to avoid 

 the inconveniences annexed to the birth and rearing of their offspring. 



The streets of their villages or towns are straight and wide, the houses are 

 covered with mats of bulrushes, disposed horizontally in dry weather, and 

 slopingly in wet weather. Many have two and three mats, one above the other, 

 with more or less interval, as much for'^the exclusion of the rain as for the 

 diminution of the heat. They sleep on the ground upon hides, and cover them- 

 selves with the cloths that the women spread over the two bundles of grass 

 between which they ride on horseback. 



None of their dwelling places are permanent. They are always near some 

 river or lake, and continue whilst there are game, fish, fruits, and pasturage for 

 the cattle. On experiencing any want, in a moment the town disappears, and 

 the plains, previously covered with thousands of animals, are deserted. The 

 marches of these caravans are grand and interesting. On arriving at their 

 destined place, another town rises almost in a moment, and the surrounding 

 campos, where scarcely a few deer pastured, are on a sudden covered with 

 numerous horses, oxen, and flocks of sheep. 



They manufacture an inebriating drink wdth honey and water, called chicha; 

 and to the rum of the Portuguese they give the name of nodah. 



Some express themselves tolerably in the Portuguese language, and have 

 made transitions to the towns or establishments of the province, since they re- 

 ceived the protection and subjected themselves to the Faithful Crown, in virtue 

 of which, the following patent, previously alluded to, was granted to them. 



" Joam d'Albuquerque de Mello Pereyra e Caceres, of his Majesty's council, 

 " chevalier of the order of St. John of Malta, governor and captain-general 

 " of the capitanias of Matto Grosso and Cuiaba, &c. maketh known to all those 

 " to whom this my letter patent may come, that the nation of Indian Guaycurus, 



