134 
VOYAGE UP THE TAPAJOS. 
Chap. IT, 
single families, whilst the separate hordes of Mundu- 
rucus generally live together, each in one large dwelling. 
The Cupari horde do not form an exception in this 
respect, as they also lived together in one of these large 
huts until very recently. The Mauhes are undistin- 
guishable in physical appearance from their neighbours, 
being of middle size, with brDad muscular chests, and 
well-shaped limbs and hands. But the individuals of 
both tribes can be readily distinguished from the Muras ; 
less, however, by the structure and proportions of the 
body than by the expression of their countenances, which 
is mild and open instead of brutal, surly and mistrustful, 
as in those savages. They are invariably friendly to 
the whites ; as I have already mentioned, they use the 
Parica snuff, a habit quite unknown to the Mundurucus. 
They are the only tribe who manufacture Guarana, a 
hard substance made of the pounded seeds of a climb- 
ing plant (PauUinia sorbilis), which they sell in large 
quantities to traders, it being used throughout the 
whole of the interior provinces of Brazil, grated and 
mixed in water, as a remedy in diarrhoea and intermittent 
fevers. The Mundurucus have a tradition that they and 
the Mauhes originally formed one tribe ; the two peoples 
were formerly bitter enemies, but are now, and have 
been for many years, at peace with each other. Many 
centuries must have elapsed since the date of their first 
separation, to have produced the great differences now 
existing in language and customs between the two 
tribes. I fancy the so-called tradition is only a myth, 
but it doubtless conveys the truth. The points of re- 
semblance between all the tribes inhabiting the region 
