Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-10-06
THE XINGy REGION.
EXPLORATION OF THIS PORTION
OF SOUTH AMERICA.
Interesting Account of the Expedi-
ton and Its Finds-PeopIe Still
Living in the Stone Age.
Letter 70 the journal Of Science.

The German explorers, Karl and Will
helm Won den Steinen, embarked in Rio
de Janeiro July Dist for Germany, after
nearly year spent among the Indians of
Matte Crosse. The exploration of the
Xingu in 1884 by the two Won den
Steinens and Claus revealed the fact that
in this region exist number of tribes who
are not acquainted with the existence of a
white race, and who may literally be said
to represent the primitive condition of the
Brazilian Indians in the stone age and be-
fore the discovery of America. Further
more, the diversity in the language of
these tribes indicates a variety of ethno-
logical groups, and offers rare oppor-
tunity for studying the apparently insolu-
bic riddle of the natural classification of
the Brazilian aborigines. The Importance
of the results of the 1884 expedition, and
still more those that might be expected
from future work in such promising field,
led DIR. Karl Won den Steinen, after publ
cation of his book, to resolve upon a new
exploration, in which he was warmly sec
onded by European ethnologists The new
expedition, unlike the first, which was or
ganized mainly with a view to geographical
work, came prepared to give chief prom
inence to ethnology. DR.. Karl Won den
Steinen, who proposed to devote his atten-
ton principally to language work, was
| accompanied by his cousin Wilhelm, one
of the original Xingu party, as artist Dr.
Paul Ehrenreich, who had already made
important chronological studies in Brazil,
as assistant ethologist and photographer,
| and DIR. Peter Nogel as geographer and
geologist.
Leaving Rio de Janeiro in February of
last year, the party was delayed in ascend
ing the Paraguay by the existence of
cholera along that river, until the begin
ming of June, the interval being employed
in an examination of the shell-heaps of
Santa Catharina. The President of Matte
Crosse furnished an escort of four soldiers
under command of an ensign. Another
ensign, who had accompanied in part the
1884 expedition, and had since retired
from the service, joined the expedition as
a volunteer. A civilized Bakairi Indian.
Antonio, also of the 1884 party, was en-
gagged as interpreter, making up, with the
necessary comaradas, party of fourteen
The expedition left Cuyaba July 28th, the
explorers on foot, and serving as occasion
required as peones, trail-cutters, aud oars
men. Proceeding first TO the Paranatinga,
an ailluent of the Tapajos, for whose ex-
ploration a party of Brazilian engineers
was lately fitted out, several astronomical
determinations were made about the head
waters of that river. The party then
marched to the northeast, passed the
Batovy branch of the Xingu, explored in
1884, aud on the eth of September reached
the kuliseu, where permanent camp was
made Tor a portion of the party, that re-
manned in charge Of the animals and bag
gage, while the explorers descended the
river in bark canoes made on the spot, to
the confluence of the Kuliseu with the
Batovy. The first Indians met with be-
longed to the Bakairi tribe, with
whom, as the language was already
known, communication was readily
made, and with whom the explorers
spent several weeks, accompanying them
on their fishing and hunting excursion, in
their agricultural labors performed en-
tirely with stone and wooden implements),
in their festivities, and, in fact, in all the
phases of their life. The next and most
numerous tribe was the Nahuqua, who,
like the Bakairi, belong to the Carib fam
lily, which is supposed by DR.. Won den
Steinen to have migrated northward to the
Caribbean Sea from some point in Central
Brazil. The Nahuqua have number of
villages on the Kuliseu and on the
Kuluene, the principal branch of the
Xingu, with which the former unites The
sudden arrival of a large party so alarmed
these people, that it became very difficult to
study them, and in consequence DIR. Won den
Steinen resolved to make his entry alone, or
with only A small number of Indian COM
panions, in the villages of the other tribes.
in order to establish friendly relations be-
fore the arrival Of the full party This
somewhat hazardous experiment was tried
first with two completely savage Bakairi
companions in a village of Mehinaku
Indians, the only weapon carried being a
revolver. The traveller was received by
tumultuous crowd of naked savages. shout
ing, brandishing bows and arrows, and
beating their breasts, who seized him by
the wrists, and with considerable violence
led him to the central feast-house, where
he was pumped down on bench, and made
the recipient of a shower of questions and of
hospitable presents of cakes and porridge. A
German speech and sundry recitatations
from Goethe, delivered with hearty laugh
ter, were accepted as a reply to the unin-
telligible questions, and friendly relations
were soon established.
Other tribes are the Auatihu, Vaura and
Kustenau, Yauaiapitj, Camaiura, and Tru-
mai The Camaiura are true Tupi, and
manifested great satisfaction Tn hearing the
common names of plants and animals that
in,
The Trumai, by their language and ply
sique, differ markedly from all the other
tribes. They had been met with in 1884,
but the accidental discharge of gun so
alarmed them that no communications
could be established After that they suf-
fered greatly from the attacks of the Suya,
a Botocudo tribe living lower down the
river, and, retreating southwark, were ma
turally greatly alarmed on meeting again
the strangers with the laundering arms of
the former encounter.
Returning to Cuyaba near the end of
December, the travellers had an oppor-
tunity for studying the Parcel, and alter
wards made an excursion to the river Sac
Lourenco to examine the Bororo or Cor
oado The Won den Steinens then de-
scended the Paraguay, and spent sometime
thS lCuidl:iS III llldt
province Dr. Ehrenreich proceeded to
Goyaz to descend the Araguaya TO Para;
and DR.. Vogel remained behind to explore
geographically the highland between the
Paraguay and Parana, with the especial
object of opening road from the colony
of Sac Lourenco 10 Santa Anna do Para
nahiba on the Parana, which was success
fully accomplished.
The scientific results of the expedition
far exceeded the most sanguine expecta-
tions. In lecture before the Geograph-
zeal Society of Rio de Janeiro, DIR. Karl
Won den Steinen presented the following
general observations on the Indians of the
upper Xingu.
As rule, they are of low stature but
well proportional and agile, of light clay
color, with black hair, which is wavy in
some individuals. The women wear the
hair hanging loose to the shoulders the
men cut it in circle about the base of the
skull, and in some tribes shave the crown
OF the head. All the hairs of the face, in
including the eyebrows, and of the body,
are carefully pulled out. The Trumai are
distinguished from the Others by weaker
physique and more brutal physiognomy.