ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
civilization — if donning a pair of trousers and shoes and 
a collar and tie can be called being civilized—can be 
discarded. 
The news had spread by word of mouth down the 
Araguaya many months before that a Brazilian expedi¬ 
tion would be sent out with gifts, in order to befriend 
the Indians, supposed to be innumerable, but only a few 
dozens, all counted, in reality. Seeing no expedition 
arrive, five or six of the Indians proceeded to travel some 
hundreds of miles to find it. The expedition, for lack 
of money, had remained stuck in a certain town. It was 
in that town that the valuable photographs were taken. 
No sooner had they said good-bye to their generous 
donors than the Indians left the city, quickly removed 
their clothes, which they exchanged for a few drinks of 
aguardiente (fire-water), and, as naked as before, 
returned to the shores of their beloved river. 
Nevertheless the movement of the Brazilian Govern¬ 
ment was extremely praiseworthy and did it great credit. 
Like all movements of that kind, it was bound to go to 
excesses in the beginning, especially in Brazil, where 
people were very generous when they were generous at all. 
So far the fault has been on the right side. It will un¬ 
doubtedly prevent in the future much severe, even cruel 
treatment which has been bestowed on the Indians. 
It was a great pity, a very great pity, that this move¬ 
ment for the protection of the Indians had been started 
only when there were few pure Indians, almost none, 
left to protect. According to Brazilian statements, the 
wild Indians of Central Brazil amounted to some fifteen 
or twenty millions or thereabouts! A few, very few, 
thousands, perhaps only hundreds, would be nearer the 
truth. There were no great tribes left in their absolutely 
wild state anywhere in Brazil. There were a few small 
tribes or families scattered here and there, but it was 
seldom that these tribes numbered more than twenty or 
200 
