110 



STAY AT VILLA DE ST. SALVADOR, 



hair. Their houses are good and roomy, constructed of wood and 

 clay, the roofs covered with palm-leaves and reeds, like those of the 

 Portuguese. Their sleeping-nets are hung up in them, and the bow 

 and arrows stand in the corner leaning against the wall. The rest of 

 their simple furniture is composed of pots, dishes, or bowls ( cuius ), 

 made by themselves of gourds and the calebash-tree f crescentia cuiete, 

 Linn.), hand-baskets of interlaced palm-leaves, and a few other 

 articles. Their clothing consists in a white cotton shirt and breeches ; 

 but on Sundays they are better dressed, and are then not distinguish- 

 able from the lower order of Portuguese ; but even then the men 

 frequently go with their heads and feet bare. The women, on the 

 contrary, are more elegant, sometimes wear a veil, and are fond of 

 finery. They all speak Portuguese, but among one another they 

 generally converse in their national language. The languages of the 

 Coroados and Coropos have a \ ery close affinity, and both for the 

 most part understand the Piiris. Our young Coj'opo, Francisco, 

 spoke all those languages. 



The difference of language among the various tribes of the abori- 

 gines of Brazil is a subject worthy of investigation. Almost all the 

 tribes of the Tapuyas have peculiar dialects : from the resemblance of 

 certain words in the various languages, some have inferred their de- 

 rivation from European nations ; but probably without reason ; Tapa 

 and Mama, have indeed among the Cambevas or Omaguas* the 

 same signification as with us, and the word Ja (yes,) is said to have 

 the same signification in the Coropo language as in German ; but 

 except these trifling and accidental coincidences, there is not the 

 smallest resemblance between these languages and those of Europe. 

 The original weapons of the Coroados, and to which they still are 



* See De la Condamine's Voyage, p. 54. Even among the New Zealandcrs (our Antipodes) 

 children call their father Pah-Pah. See CoUins's Account of New South Wales, p. 535. 



