Chap. IY. 
PASSE INDIANS. 
241 
hordes were therefore spread over a region 400 miles in 
length from east to west. It is probable, however, that 
they have been confounded by the colonists with other 
neighbouring tribes who tattoo their faces in a similar 
manner ; such as the J uris, Uainumas, Shumanas, 
Arauas, and Tucunas. The extinct tribe of Yurimauas, 
or Sorimoas, from which the river Solimoens derives 
its name, according to traditions extant at Ega, resem- 
bled the Passes in their slender figures and friendly dis- 
position. These tribes (with others lying between them) 
peopled the banks of the main river and its by-streams 
from the mouth of the Rio Negro to Peru. True Passes 
existed in their primitive state on the banks of the 
Issa, 240 miles to the west of Ega, within the memory 
of living persons. The only large body of them now 
extant are located on the Japura, at a place distant 
about 150 miles from Ega: the population of this horde, 
however, does not exceed, from what I could learn, 
300 or 400 persons. I think it probable that the lower 
part of the Japura and its extensive delta lands formed 
the original home of this gentle tribe of Indians. 
The Passes are always spoken of in this country as 
the most advanced of all the Indian nations in the 
Amazons region. I saw altogether about thirty indi- 
viduals of the tribe, and found them generally distin- 
guishable from other Indians by their lighter colour, 
sharper features, and more open address. But these 
points of distinction were not invariable, for I saw 
individuals of the Juri and Miranha tribes from the 
Upper Japura ; of the Catoquinos, who inhabit the 
barfks of the Jurua, 300 miles from its mouth ; and 
VOL. II. R 
