The l^AßUMA (? Saluma) Tribe. 
3^5 
Curitani. To get the necessary provisions prepared lie soon set off 
ahead of us for his Adllage. 
918. The Tariima tribe still numbers about 150 individuals who are 
drminishiug year by year. Their dread of mixing Avith other tribes — 
for the marriage of the Barokoto Yarimoko A\ ith two Taruma women 
was one of the rarest exceptions — and the une<puil proportion of women 
to men whereby duties are mostly imposed upon the former before 
arriving at maturity, make a numerous and vigorous progeny almost 
impossible, while the children resulting from the even as yet undevelop- 
ed mothers generally live but a few days or remain weak and sickly 
throughout their whole life. All these facts must conduce to their com- 
plete extinction as surely as smallpox and other diseases have already 
done with other tribes. 
919. It seemed surprising to my brother that the Tarumas called 
an eclipse of the moon piwa-toto. which is a compound of piwa, the moon, 
and toto the earth. Is it a guess, or do they know that the earth is the 
cause of the darkening of the moon? As on our previous journey my 
brother tried to get hold of some skulls aud was not ai little astonished 
when Yarimoko readily fell in with his proposition to let him have the 
crania of both his wives, his child, and his mother-in-law. To allay 
suspicion from the Tarumas he insisted however that my brother should 
remain behind and that only Mr. Goodall should accompany him. 
Judging from the younger Avife's skull she could have been l)arely 10 
years of age: her bones lay in a Avoodskin, in which Avas also found a 
bottle of water, so that she should not suffer thirst on her Avay to the 
other Avorld. Close beside her graA^*^ Avas that of her child, her mother, 
and her fellow-spouse. 
920. When the Barokoto was asked by Mr. Goodall to show him the 
grave of a Taruma Indian, he objected, because he did not possess the 
right over them that he had over the others with whom he was connected 
by marriage. My lu-other had never yet been received by any Indian 
tribe with such devoted hospitality as he was by the Tarumas. 
921. From 40 circum-meridian altitudes of alpha and beta Centauru.s 
and (jamma of the CJreat Bear the ]iosition of the village was 1° 4.'^' 58" lat. 
N. and according to the chronometer readings 58° 20' 51" long. W. Its 
absolute height was 767 feet. 81 meteorological observations, which 
were taken by day between the 27th June and 8th July, gave the follow- 
ing results : — 
Date. 
Instrument. 
Mean. 
Highest. 
Lowest. 
Remarks. 
1843 
from 
27th 
June 
to 
6th 
July. 
Barometer 
Attached 
Thermometer 
Inches 
29-248 
29th June 
9 a.m. 
29-341 
6th July 
6 p.m. 
29-166 
The weather was 
chan g e a b 1 e, fre- 
quent thunder- 
storms and dense 
mist of a morning. 
Light breeze from 
E. by S. and E. by 
N. 
degrees 
75-11 
30th June 
1 p.m. 
80-60 
28th June 
6 a.m. 
67-28 
Thermometer 
Dry Bulb 
Wet Bulb • 
75-22 
73-92 
80-60 
77-20 
67-00 
66-00 
The greatest variation on one day amounted to 12.8 degi-ees. 
