If: 
THE TOLD INDIAN TRIBES OF THE MADEIRA VALLEY. 14l 
Tinder the energetic rule of this Order (whoso evil influence in 
civilised countries I have not forgotten, hy the, way), numerous Indian 
settlements, or Missions, had been created on different jinints of South 
America, in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, whose 
crumbling fragments still excite our admiration and wonder. In the 
midst of pathless wildernesses, on the shores of rivers showing more 
than their full share of rapids, cataracts, and other obstinctions to 
navigation, and scarcely ever heard of before, there spnmg up flourishing 
settlements, with extensive plantations of Indian corn, mandioc, cotton, 
sugar-cane, and Ilex Paraguayensis, and numerous herds grazing around ; 
in short, containing all the germs of future prosperity, and the sound 
development of agriculture and trade. The difliculties the Padres had 
to overcome, too, were greater by far than they arc now. There wore 
then no proud steamers ploughing these gigantic waters in the tenth 
part of the time taken by their .slow sailing-boats ; and a traveller or 
a missionary can now reach at least the houndarks of these out-of- 
the-way places in vigorous healtli, and unworn by the fatigues of the 
Avay. Diligent inquirers have familiarised us somcAAdiat witli the lan- 
guages and customs of a good many Indian tribes ; and avc Icuoav, at 
any rate, AA'hat we harm to expect from them ; and, even if the certainty 
be not always a very comforting one, it spares us the pang of dis- 
appointment, and enables us to prepare for all eventualities. 
In spite of the improved condition of things, the present Catecheso 
dos Indies (as the Brazilians call it), mostly in the hands of Italian 
monks Avho have formerly been clerks and schoolmasters, yields but 
poor re, suits, such as not to encourage the Government to further efforts. 
The following literally true narrative of an occurrence Avill throw 
a pretty clear light on the pj’csent position of affairs. Some six or 
seven years ago, the inhabitants of a small cottage on the Eio Negro, 
above Manaos, were found murdered. As the tibiae of the victims, 
Avhich are used for flutes by a neighbouring tiibe, had been taken 
out, there coidd not be any doubt left as to the identity of the 
murderers. The Government, reluctantly yielding to the petitions of 
the surrounding families, resolved to send a missionary ; and one of 
the Italian Capuchin monks at the Hospice of Eio de Janeiro Avas 
ordered to go. At Manaos he provided himself, at the expense of the 
Government, with a large number of presents for the sons of the forest, 
such as scissors, knives, beads, and small looking-glasses, and demanded 
