New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-04


liberty Of saying something about il. The univer-
sal power of civilization is making itself felt even
in this mutation which has in its day been con-
sdered as great beauty by tho lndlsns. Among
the tribes which come into closest contact with
the settlers one sees these pieces OF wool IN the
lips and ears only of the older individuals; the
younger generation does not wear them. have
seen the perforated ears only in men; the bps IN
women. The travellers mentioned above say they
are common 10 both sexes The grestest dlsmeter
of an ear-hole which | have measured was two
inches This made the ears hang down 70 'te
shoulders. On their hunting and fighting exc
ditions the men do not their wooden
ornaments, and in hot pursuit of al enemy or
beast they often catch the rim OF the
ear in thorns or branches and tear IL
through. So one sees many of the Botocudos with
their ear-laps hanging down on their shoulders in
two long slender strings. On festival days they tie
two ends together with bark and stick thin pieces
of wood through the resuscitated ring. wooden
lip ornament, tahud, which l measured, was two
and half inches in diameter. Ii Is disgusting
this face. carrying a piece of wood a inches IN
diameter through slit in the under lP. Although.
for this particular lip ornament, very hight wood
had been selected yet its upper edge hit against
the teeth so much in eating and speaking that they
soon became loose and fell out. When the Old
women lay aside their lip ornaments, the saliva is
continually running through the hole in the under
lip down the chin which is also not very asthetlc
sight In ten years wooden ear and lip ornaments
will become great curiosites among the Indians on
the Mucuri. And the Botocudos can give up their
ear ornaments. we may reasonably hope thst the
refined women of Europe WILL some day, give up
the barbsric custom of stretching their ears with
gold ornaments.
Ii seems almost incOmprehensibe how the
Botocudos ship through the forest. Without the
help of an experienced path-cutter, could not get
ten steps through the savage snarl OF briars.
creepers and bamboOs. Occasionally one strikes
picadas-beaten tracks made and used by the
Indians: but in hunting they have to leave these
and drive through the thick forest. But use and
dextrrity always help them through.
The Botocudos are generally on good terms with
the colonsts. The Company endeayors by every
possible means to earn the goodwill of the Indians,
and 70 civilize them much as possible, in order
to secure labor from them. Success IN tins has
been arrived at only after much time and the cxer-
else Of great patience. The principal obstacle has
been the incredible aziness of the Botocudos; IT
not compelled 10 hunt to fill their mouths, they lie
| in senseless apathy on their bellies, supporting
| their heads on their hands, and staring without
thought into the forest. When they can endure
this no longer they go into the settlements, work
for day or two, get their suppers, buy brandy aud
tobacco with their wages, and return again to their
| forest. All the col0nists who have employed In
dians as laborers complain of their incredible laZl
ness; they seldom work more than two days at =
| time, during which they do no more work than
negro would in four or five hours. The most IN
dustrious are the Shiporocas, of whom individuals
have been known to work for fourteen days
together
The only hostilties between the Botocudos and
the Company took place at the opening of the
Picadas AT that time four laborers were wounded,
but since then relations have always been friendly.
when the Indians saw. for the first time, a male
which had strayed away into the woods. they hur-
riedly threw up barrcade and from behind 1t shot
the triehtfu monster. The negro who had been
sent out to look for the runaway mule, found them
celebrating their mighty victory by singing and
dancing over him. There are standing teuds
between some tribes. During my stay war broke
out between Potf and the Aldea des IIorete, and
there were skirnishes every day. They Will soon
kll themselves off if their life is not improved by
the influence of civilization, and they are not
changed to peaceful agricuturists. All the tribes
from Gequetinhonna to south of the Rio Doce are
hemmed between civilization and the ocean;
they retreat farther, and even if they knew
of the FORESTS of Matte Crosse aud Cuyaba in the
West, they could not reach them, az they must
pass through the province of Minas. Nothing
remains for them but to await their
destiny. They know, or rather feel, that
new epoch is beginning for them.
white-hand comes to Nacnenuc, and takes
" Nacnenuc's land. What shall Nacnenuc do :
"There is nothing left for Nacnenuc but the sky"
And if in supplcation, he stretched his arms to-
ward heaven.
Among all the Indians have seen in America,
| the Botocudo stands on the lowest round OF the
ladder, physically and mentally; perhaps he can
find his level in the Indians OF Patagonia. The
Indians of the south, north and west of Brazil are
all in much higher state Of development than the
BotocudOs; they are superior to them in strength,
courage, intelligence and invention, and, conse-
quently, must retain their independence for lon
ger period.
In my collection Of samples Of languages was
very much astonshed that none of the Indians
dared to come into my room, even though tempted
by their adored tobacco; they always stood out
side, before my window. Was it that the free sons
of the forest feared to be shut within walls