Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-16
QUEER WILD FOLKS.
Facts About the Savage Botocudos and Their
Interesting Ways


Facts About the Savage Botocudos and Their
Interesting Ways.
The Botocudos of Brazil are among the
most interesting savages in the world" said an
ethnologist roa writer for The STAR. although
other wild peoples in various parts Of the
world dlstend their lips and ears with wooden
plugs Tor ornamental purposes Indians of this
race carry such practices to an unparalleled
extreme The piercing of the flesh for this
object is performed when the child is about
seven years of age, a sharp spine from a kind
OF pain being used as a surgical instrument.
Openings having thus been made in the low r
lip and lobe of each ear bits OF wood are III
serted to keep them from healing, big ger and
bigger pieces being substituted until the plugs
ATTAIN diameter sometimes of as much as four
inches. These plugs are cut from tree which
furnishes wood quite as light as cork and of a
white color. They are three-quarters OF an
inch thick.
THE LIP ORNAMENT.
1.-The wooden disc in the lip is worn most Of
the time bu. is from time to time removed.
when the lip hangs in a hideous loop of flesh
against the chin, looking like a great worm and
displaying the teeth in a horrible grin. Ordi-
rarlly the pressure of the plug against the
lower front teeth pushes them out of place and
causes them to fall out thus adding to the IN
pleasant effect When the plug is in position,
the features being IN repose, 1t is carried hori-
Zontally, smile causing it to touch the tip of
the nose In quarreis the perforated ears and
lips are apt to suffer, and it is no uncommon
thing to see them broken. When such an acci-
dent occurs the severed parts are tied together
ana the plug Is replaced. More often than not
the ear discs are not worn and the loops of
N 20
the shoulders. In travelling through the forest
such loops would be likely to catch upon boughs
Oh trees, SO they are often turned up and hung
over the ears for convenience.
LIGHT BROWN IN COLOR.
'The color of the Botocudos is light vel
lowish brown. 1t has been said that they are
capable of blushing occasionally, which would
seem to be an accomplishment worth having,
inasmuch as both sexes commonly go starl:
naked. When brought into contact with Euro
peans they manifest not the slightest cmbar-
rassmcnt on account of their lack of clothing
however. From certain seeds and fruits they
obtain brilliant dyes, with which they adorn
their bodies. There is no set style. the method
Of painting the person varying with the taste
of the individual. A favorite fashion is to
paint the face above the mouth bright red, the
upper half of the body being stained black and
red stripe encircling the waist A new war
rior thus decorated. with lip and ear ornaments,
presents most demoniacal expression. The
colors employed are mixed in the upper
shell of a turtle and are carried in joints of
the bamboo When at work on plantations be-
longing to the whites the men often tie a shirt
by the arms around the waist, letting the body
hang down in front. They never seen to
wear such garment otherwise. The women
adopt a tattered skirt. But these articles of
apparel are Immediately discarded as soon as
they return to the forest, where they roam
n Wit bnn flo Loaf 70
themselves with.
THEIR WEAPONS.
1.-The arms Of the Botocudo consist of the
bow and arrow. His bow is made from the
wood of a airi palm, from FIVE to seven feet in
length, and SO heavy and strong that no other
man can bend it. The arrows are six feet
long, with shafts OF strong and light reeds. tip
ped for use in war with javelin-like head
made from the side of joint of bamboo. This
head, which Is convex on one side and concave
on the other, is sharDened to q long point, the
edge being rendered as keen as "a knife Such
arrows are employed also in the chase of the
tapir.. They are plumed with the feathers of a
large bird. The wounds they make are terri
BILE and particularly dangerous because of the
concave shape of the arrow head, which facili-
tates bleeding.
IN THE WOODS.
"For birds and small game the savages
utilize arrows with blunt points, which stun
the prey, but do not tear it. They capture
small lizards with these weapons. For calling
one another in the forest they have speaking
trumpets made from the skin of the tail of the
great armadillo. While travelling through the
woods they build for themselves temporary
shelters of palm leaves. sticking the stems into
the ground III a half circle. so that the tips of
the fronds arch together and form a sort of
roof When encamping for considerable time
in one place they construct houses often big
enough to hold several families. The furnish
ing of a Botocudo cabin is extremely simple,
beds being made from bark fiber and the fire
being in the middle of the dwelling. Gourds
are used for drinking purposes and in the
preparation Of food.
THEIR FooD.
"The Botocudos are particularly fond of the
flesh of monkeys, but they also subsist upon
ant eaters, alliSators and boa constructors.
Fish they usually shoot with small bows, which
they use with great dexterity: but sometimes
they employ q poisonous root, which. put into
the water soon brings the fish to the surface.
They regard Us delicacy certain kinds of huge
caterpillars which burrow in decayins wood.
These unpleasant grubs are impaled on sharp
stick a number at time, and toasted at the
fire. This is their usual method OF cooking
animal food Fire is to them very valuable,
because if lost it can only be rekindled with
great difficulty by means of the friction of
wood, and so they take much care that it shall
not go out.
TREATMENT OF WOMEN.
''The men usually take but ono wife each. A
warrior purchases the woman he wants from
her father, and there is no further ceremony.
When the husband is angry with his spouse he
beats her numerically and cuts hea with his
knife. SO common is this latter method of
conjugal discipline that it is a rare thing to see
a married woman who is not covered with the
scars OF terrible wounds on her face, back,
breast and arms. All hard work is done by the
women, who are really slaves. They wear for
ornaments collars made of hard berry-like
fruits strung on threads, necklaces of monkeys
teeth or of the hoofs of wild pigs and armlets
of beads and teeth. The Botocudos have been
hunted down and massacred by the Portuguese.
Undoubtedly they practice cannibalism more
or less. 1t is remarkable race, but the last
survivors are rapidly passing away"
To Fix the Fact.