Travels in the Brazils. 57 

 have lodged beneath the open sky. In the unfurnished and 

 ahnost empty dwelling of this man, we however, found accom- 

 modation and slept soundly. 



S. Fidelis on the beautiful bank of the Paraiba, here tolera- 

 bly broad, a village of the Coroados and Coropos Indians, is a 

 Missionary station, and was established about 30 years ago by 

 some Italian Capuchin monks. There were then four Mis- 

 sionaries, of whom one still remains; a second lives at Aldea de 

 Pedra, seven or eight Legoas farther up the river; and the other 

 two are dead. The Indians, v^^ho live at this place, belong to the 

 race of the Coroados, Coropos, and Pures; the last of whom, still 

 wild and fi-ee rove about in the utmost state of barbarism 

 betwixt the sea and the northern bank of the Paraiba, and 

 spread westward to the Rio Pomba in Minas Geraes^ oppo- 

 site to S. Fidelis : they hitherto appear peaceable, but at Jldea 

 de Pedra they have lately been at war with the, Coroados. The 

 principal residence of both these tribes is Minas Geraes, but 

 they extend hither on the Paraiba and the sea coast. On the 

 right or southern bank dwell the Coroados, and at S. Fidelis 

 some Coropos who are now all civilized, that is to say settled. 

 Their boundaries stretch to Rio Pomba. On the left bank of 

 the river they are still in a state of nature, though they build 

 better huts than the Puris, with whom they live in warfare, 

 and by whom they are said to be feared. These Indians are, 

 as has been stated, almost all settled, the Coropos entirely, the 

 Coroados for the greater part; yet they have scarcely begun to lay 

 aside their wild manners, customs, and sentiments; for only four 

 weeks before our arrival, the latter, at Aldea de Pedra, had shot 

 a Puri, on one of their expeditions, and celebrated in conse- 

 quence a grand festival for several successive days. 



Scarcely had the morning appeared, when we betook our- 

 selves to the huts built by the Missionaries for the Coroados 

 and Coropos. We found these men still extremely original, of 

 a dark brown skin, a completely national countenance, strongly 

 marked features, and raven-black hair. Their houses are very 

 good and roomy, built of mud and wood, and roofed with 

 palm leaves and reeds, like those of the Portuguese. Their 

 ordinary clothing consists of white shirts and breeches of cot- 

 ton stuff, but on Sunday they are better dressed, and not to be 

 distinguished from the poorer classes of the Portuguese, though 

 even then, the men often go bare-headed and bare-foot ; the 



* The Corograsa Brasilica (Vol. 2. p. 59.) describes the situation of the 

 Pwrw on the lower Faraiba incorrectly ; for, according to that account, the 

 savages live here already collected into villages, which is not actually the 

 case. 



Voyages and Travels, No. 3, Vol IIL E 



