AND VISIT TO THE PURIS AT ST. FIDELIS. 



Ill 



strongly attached, are bows and arrows, which differ in some minute 

 particulars only from those of the Puris. They generally take the 

 feathers for these arrows from the beautiful red araras ( psittacus 

 macao. Linn.) which are found higher up the Paraiba at Aldea da 

 Pedra. Like all their kindred tribes, they are extremely skilful in 

 the use of this weapon, and spend much of their time in hunting in 

 the extensive forests which begin not far from their huts. In the 

 Corografia Brasilica it is stated that several families of the Coroados 

 always reside together in one house, which I must reduce to a couple. 

 Formerly these people buried their deceased chiefs in a sitting posture 

 in long earthen vessels, which were called camucis ; and they bathed 

 every morning at day-break ; but they have now relinquished all these 

 customs. 



As the day after our arrival at St. Fidelis was Sunday, we attended 

 mass in the morning in the church of the monaster}^, where the inha- 

 bitants of the neighbouring country had assembled, purely out of 

 curiosity, to see the strange visitors. Father Joao delivered a long 

 sermon, of which I did not understand a word. We afterwards 

 walked through the uninhabited monastery, and inspected its curiosi- 

 ties. The church is large, light, and spacious, and was painted by 

 Father Victorio, who died only about two months before. This 

 missionary had very zealously promoted the welfare of the Indians, 

 and his memory was much respected by them ; whereas they seemed 

 not to be so much attached to the present priest : the Indians had 

 indeed once driven away the latter, alleging that he could give them 

 no instruction, because he was worse than themselves. The painting 

 in the interior of the church cannot indeed be called beautiful, but it 

 is tolerable, and a great ornament in this remote and unfrequented 

 spot, which agreeably surprises the traveller. The names of the four 

 missionaries are inscribed behind the altar ; on the sides hung a 

 number of votive tablets, among which is a painting representing a 



