230 



TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



been only a few hours at Guidowald, when we 

 saw a horde of Coropos, who were come to ex- 

 change dried ipecacuanha roots at captain Mar- 

 lier's, for cottons and iron wares. As soon as 

 they heard that strangers were present, they crept, 

 scattered round about the house, and peeped in 

 to see what was passing. This tribe of Coropos 

 consists at present of hardly 300 individuals, who 

 dwell in many small aldeas along the shores of the 

 Rio da Pomba. They are on good terms with 

 the Portuguese, whom they have acknowledged 

 as their masters since 17^7, and appear to be the 

 most civilised among the Indians of Minas Geraes. 

 Those whom we saw here were all of a middling 

 stature, with broad shoulders, large jaws, very 

 lean, particularly in the calves, and had a very 

 disagreeable mongol countenance. They were 

 almost entirely naked ; some of the women, as 

 soon as they saw us, put on short cotton aprons, 

 which they carried with them wrapped up in palm 

 leaves. In spite of all our endeavours, we found 

 it impossible to examine their language, as well 

 on account of their invincible reserve in our pre- 

 sence, as for want of a skilful interpreter. Among 

 the few words which we drew from them, we were 

 struck by " Handu'^ (in German HandtucJi), by 

 which they designate a pocket-handkerchief) and 

 Ja^' by which they, like the Germans, express 

 an affirmative. After these Indians had disposed 

 of their ipecacuanha, and been fed by the people 



