ABORIGINES. 



147 



One of these tribes^ called Omaguas, had a 

 custom which^ I am told, is not yet totally 

 abolished, of squeezing the heads of their 

 children between two boards, so as to flatten 

 the forehead and hinder part of the head, ren- 

 dering the face broader. The missionaries 

 attributed to this operation the great weakness 

 of intellect which was general among this 

 nation. All these tribes live under caciques. 

 Their religion is conformable to their im- 

 perfect civilization. They represent the 

 Deity under the form of an old man, whom 

 they call father, without consecrating to him 

 however, temples, or altars. The earthquakes, 

 according to their notion, arise from his pre- 

 sence upon the earth, and the vibrations are 

 the footsteps of the irritated God, which shake 

 the mountains. As soon as an earthquake 

 occurs, they come out of their huts singing, 

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