TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



of the family troubles himself about his descendents, 

 and adjusts their disputes. There is no regular 

 precedency between the old and the young ; for 

 age appears to enjoy no respect among them. We 

 often saw children and young men behave with the 

 greatest impropriety in the presence of their pa- 

 rents ; help themselves to the food before the 

 parents had taken any, occupy the best place at 

 the fire-side, pertly give their opinions, quarrel, &c., 

 without any persons seeming to notice it. The 

 influence of the Portuguese has distinguished the 

 most sensible among them, who are flattered by 

 being called capitao, and with exercising a kind of 

 supremacy over the rest. When they carry on war, 

 their leader is the best hunter, he who has killed the 

 greatest number of enemies, ounces, &c., and has 

 the greatest share of cunning. At home his com- 

 mands are not attended to, or individuals follow 

 him at pleasure, because he takes the trouble of 

 thinking for them, or proposes something advan- 

 tageous, such as a more productive hunting-place, 

 an exchange of goods with the whites, &c. Every 

 body commands at home according to his own plea- 

 sure ; several families often live in one hut, but 

 quite distinct and independent of each other. 

 They mutually respect their property, have, in ge- 

 neral, their meat and drink in common, and seldom 

 have any disputes on this subject ; jealousy, how- 

 ever, frequently leads to quarrels, in which the 

 parties concerned fight, without the rest taking any 



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