242 
EXCURSIONS AEOUJnD EGA. 
Chap. IY. 
of the Tucunas of St. Paulo, who were scarcely distin- 
guishable from Passes in all the features mentioned. 
It is remarkable that a small tribe, the Caishanas, who 
live in the very midst of all these superior tribes, are 
almost as debased physically and mentally as the 
Muras, the lowest of all the Indian tribes on the Ama- 
zons. Yet were they seen separately, many Caishanas 
could not be distinguished from Miranhas or Juris, 
although none have such slender figures or are so frank 
in their ways as to be mistaken for Passes. I make 
these remarks to show that the differences between the 
nations or tribes of Indians are not absolute, and there- 
fore that there is no ground for supposing any of them 
to have had an origin entirely different from the rest. 
Under what influences cei'tain tribes, such as the Passes, 
have become so strongly modified in mental, social, and 
-bodily features, it is hard to divine. The industrious 
habits, fidelity, and mildness of disposition of the Passes, 
their docility and, it may be added, their personal beauty, 
especially of the children and women, made them from 
the first very attractive to the Portuguese colonists. 
They were, consequently, enticed in great number from 
their villages and brought to Barra and other set- 
tlements of the whites. The waives of governors and 
military officers from Europe were always eager to 
obtain children for domestic servants : the girls being 
taught to sew, cook, weave hammocks, manufacture 
pillow-lace, and so forth. They have been generally 
treated with kindness, especially by the educated fami- 
lies in the settlements. It is pleasant to have to record 
that I never heard of a deed of violence perpetrated; on 
