312 



STAY ON THE RIO GRANDE DE BELMONTE, 



years of age, who was one of the most turbulent warriors of this 

 tribe. Provided with pick-axes we repaired to the grave, and took up 

 the remarkable skull. We observed at the first sight an osteological 

 curiosity : the large piece of wood, worn on the under lip, had not 

 only pushed the lower fore-teeth out of their places, but even pressed 

 together and effaced the alveoli or sockets of the teeth, in this youth- 

 ful skull, which in general happens only to very old people. Azara 

 in his Travels in South America observes, that the skulls of the Ame- 

 ricans decay much sooner than those of Europeans. This does not 

 accord with the testimony of Oviedo, quoted by Southey, (Hist. Bra- 

 zil, I. 631.) that the Spanish swords could make no impression on the 

 American skulls on account of their hardness ; probably both asser- 

 tions are equally unfounded. 



Though I had taken the greatest care to keep my intention of open- 

 ing the grave secret, the report of it soon spread in the Quartel, and 

 excited a strong sensation among the unenlightened people. Impelled 

 by curiosity, and yet with a secret ten-or, several of them came to 

 the door of my lodging and desired to see the head, which however I 

 had immediately hidden in my trunk, and endeavoured to send as 

 soon as possible down to the Villa de Belmonte. Yet, as I now ob- 

 served, the Botocudos had taken less offence at this proceeding than 

 the soldiers of the Quartel, several of whom had indeed refused to 

 assist in the operation. After I had obtained my purposes in this in- 

 teresting spot, I returned to the landing-place, and embarked again 

 early in the morning of the second day after my arrival. 



The passage down the river is very rapid : in one day you reach 

 the island of Cachoeirinha. We now passed without much difficulty 

 over the Cachoeirinha, where we had been obliged to unload as we 

 went up the river. Our canoe was very large ; yet it mad« much 

 water, because in shooting down the rock the fore part dipped into 

 the water, which was violently agitated by the fall : we were therefore 



