1802.] 
‘bus, Mayorunas, Barbudos, Uniabus, Ca- 
fibos, Carapachos, Ante-Ingas, Chunta- 
quiros, Sumirinches, &c. ftill adhere to 
their Pagan errors, and favage mode of 
life. 
_ Thefe tribes worfhip no other god but 
the moon; and they have neither idols 
nor temples. The Devil is called Nugi,. 
in their language: they abhor and dread 
him, as the fole caufe of all evil. Among 
moft of them, a kind of community of 
goods obtains, efpecially with refpe&t to 
articles of food. Thofe who collect more 
than is neceffary for their own fubfiftence 
diftribute to the lefs fuccefsful as much of 
their flock as they can fpare. At their 
meals, all the men feat themfelves on the 
ground, in a circle, about earthen pots of 
their own manufacture, and painted with 
various bright, colours. They devour 
the meat before it is half cooked. The 
women are not permitted to eat along 
with the men. As there are neither oxen, 
fheep, nor horfes in this country, the na- 
tives fubfift chiefly upon the fleth of fuch 
wild animals as are found in great abun- 
dance in their woods. The birds of va- 
rious kinds, of which there are innume- 
rable flocks, are devoured by the Indians 
with feathers, bills, and entrails!? Not 
Jefs abundantly are they fupplied with fith. 
The Manati (which is likewife called 
Pexebuey, or Sea-cow), generally weighs 
from four to five hundred weight. Tor- 
toifes, too, are found, which weigh from 
three to four arrobas. The pavie or gu- 
ama, which is twice as big as the fhark, 
has an excellent flavour, and its tongue is 
fo hard, that it refembles a file. They 
either catch the fifh with an harpoon, or 
fhoot them with arrows made of the 
hardeft kind of wood. Such of them as 
cannot procure any iron, fafien to the 
points of their arrows, pieces of mutcle 
fhells, or a thorn, which latter they like 
wife fix to their fifhing lines inftead of 
hooks. The ufe of iron for fuch pur- 
pofes was firft introduced among them 
by the European miffionaries. 
The tribes which inhabit the banks of 
the Ucayali are not united under a com- 
mon head, except in time of war; when, 
on the contrary, the authority of their 
leader is very extenfive. When it is ne- 
ceflary to choofe a commander in chief, 
they affemble, and feleé& fuch as enjoy the 
greateft reputation for cunning and va- 
lour. Thele warriors are then obliged to 
undergo a fevere probation, of the fame 
Kind as is defcribed in the fecond fong of 
the Araucana, and is cuftomary among 
the warlike inhabitants of Arauco in 
Interefting Defcription of the Montanna Real. 
393 
Chili ; and he, who the Jongeft and moft 
patiently, and without betraying the leaft 
teeling of pain, endures the torments in- 
fisted upon him, is deemed worthy to 
lead them againft their enemies. 
All thefe tribes do not drefs in the fame 
manner. Some of them wear a coat, 
which reaches from the fhoulders to the 
knee. This drefs, which is ufed only by 
the men, is called Au/ft or cufina, in the 
language of the natives, and is made of 
coarfe cotton cloth. The women wear 
only a kind of fhort apron, called a chi- 
tundi, to cover their nakednefs. Others, 
go quite naked, decorating, however, their 
heads with feathers. They perforate the 
nofe and under-lip, and ftick pieces of 
mufcle fhells in them, and tatoo their 
faces and other parts of their bodies wirh 
various figures. Among fome of the 
tribes, the traveller difcovers faint traces 
of civilization and culture: but others, 
again, are altogether favages, and even 
feed upon human flefh. Of the latter dee 
{cription are the Cafibos and Carapachos, 
Thefe, as likewife the numerous tribe of 
Chipeos, have fo white a colour, and fo 
firong a beard, that they bear a greater 
refemblance to the inhabitants of Flan- 
ders, than to the other aberiginal Ameri+ 
cans. Among all the tribes fettled on 
the banks of the Ucayali, a kind of cir- 
cumcifion is performed upon perfons of 
both fexes. The young girls awe mar- 
ried here at the early age of feven, eight, or 
vine years. Polygamy is likewife efta- 
blifhed among them, whence arife: great 
domeftic difturbances. The hufband very 
frequently divorces his wife, in which cafe 
fhe is at liberty to marry again. 
Neither thefe tribes, nor the inhabitant¢ 
of the Pampa del Sacramento, dwell in 
villages, or aflemblages of houfes ; but 
conftruct large houfes, fome of which are 
one or two Spanifh guadras* in length. 
Each of thefe houSes contains, in fepa- 
rate divifions, not merely a fingle family, 
but a whole community, confiltmeg of fe- 
veral families. Almoft every half league, 
one meets witi one of thefe huge dwelling. 
places. The light is admitted through 
apertures in the roof. They bear the 
names of the ferpents, birds, and fithes, 
after which the community inhabiting 
them call themfelves, for the purpofe of - 
diftinguifhing themfelves from other neigh- 
bouring communities. An increale of 
population would render many meteriat 
* In Spain, a guadra generally denotes 2 
{pace of a hundred ells ; burt, in me places, 
it demotes more, and in others leis. 
3D2z change 
