The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-07-23
QUEER SAlAGES IN PERU.
most INTERESTING or THE SOUTH
AMERICAN TRIBES.

Tribes Wear xothing-The Zeparos
Make Cloth From Tree Bark.
Ensign w. E. Stafford, OF the United
States navy, who was sent as q special
commissioner by the State Department TO
South America, brought home wonder
full collection of costumes and curiosities
from'the savage tribes Of Peru.
The wild people inhabit the shores Of
the tributaries Of the upper MaranoD.
Among them are the fierce, warlike, and
ssingularly dressed Jivaros.
The men wear coronets OF exquisite
feathers, and tunics OF like material hang
ing from the waist nearly to the knee.
From their ears depend strings OF feath-
-ers, fastened together at the breast with
tusks Of the iaguar. The plumage for
these articles of attire and adornment are
obtained chiefly from the scarlet and
tufted sinami, which is often OF deep
cobalt blue tint, and a species Of toucan
that bears in its tail feathers Of brilliant
:. orange and rose color. The garments are
sof great value, not even the royal feather
mantles Of Hawaiian monarchs comparing
with them In beauty. They are mads on
foundation Of bark cloth, the bark being
soaked in water for several days, and
pounded into kind OF felt on q smooth
stone, after which the pieces are sewn to-
,gether with Irvine Of agave fibre.
The Jivaros also adorn themselves with
,armlets and leglets Of monkeys teeth and
beetles wings Of prismatic hues. They
practice the extraordinary art, peculiar
to themselves, Of preserving the heads Of
their enemies for ornaments.
Most OF these tribes are migratory In
their habits, travelling up and down the
rivers, fishing and hunting. They have
no form Of government, dwelling or row
ing in scattered bands, that are summoned
together for war by beating drums made
of hollow logs. The chief motive for war
with them Is the capture Of women for
wives. Having no want worth mention
ing they cannot be persuaded to do any
work, the labor that must be performed
being done by the women. Their houses
are matched with palm leaves, the roofs
being on posts.
The" Lorenzos, at least the men, wear
not single stitch. Nevertheless, on oc-
casions they decorate themselves, with
exquisite headdresses of bright-colored
parrot feathers. Perhaps the most re-
vmarkable thing about them is their light
nEomPLSAt0uJ WhiCH, ~ ID uHuerbtOOu, II
due 70 mixture with the whites under
extraordinary circumstance, Three CEN
turtles ago the spapiards attempted to
wipe then out by force q arms, bpt in
,sone conflict In 1893 they won I Victory
and destroyed Spanish settlement, car
rying Away all the women. Many Of
them wers almost like the Caucasian in
appearance. &<1s0 sss-a
!, OF the cassivos tribe the men wear
absolutely nothing, abjuring even orna-
ments, except an occasional necklace. The
women are dirty and repulsive, covering
themselves only with brown cloth about
the waist. To show that q perception OF
the decorative may exist without an ac-
companying sense OF decency, the Instance
may be cited of the Auishiris, on the
borders OF Ecuador, Of which people the
male representative clothes himself with
. beautiful crown and necklace of feath.
ers, the female wearing short petticoat.
The Cassivos, IL Is said, are cannibals, but
the allegation is, probably, untrue
Most gentle and tractable of all these
forest tribes Of Peru are the Zeparos,
famous for the cloth they make from the
bark Of the llanchama tree and for the
hammocks they manufacture out Of vege-
and resemble the Chinese physically, their
stature being small and their eyes set an
gularly. They have no words for num-
bsrs above 8. Above that and up to 10
they show fingers, but beyond 10 they can
mot 60. They use narcotic drink which
produces an effect like that of opium.
Their dead they bury in sitting posture,
each corpse being wrapped in the ham
mock which belonged to the defunct
while living. The old men, however, are
inferred head downward, for reasons not
. ascertained. They believe that the spirit
of evil Is black spectre called Mungia,
shat lives In the woods. According to
their notion, the souls Of the good and
brave enter the bodies OF beautiful birds,
which feed upon delicious fruits, while
towards are transformed after their de-
mise into crawling reptiles. Polygamy il
common among them.
A comparatively civilized tribe, whose
snlightment Is sufficiently illustrated by
the fact that its members always swear by
the name of the devil, is that OF the Napos
on the frontier of Ecuador. They bury
their dead in canoes, hold wakes over
them, and, in every case where a family
man has died, take the widow to the river
and wash her.
The Cunivos are among the most fercs
looking OF the Peruvian savages. They
wear coins through their noses, and theiI
faces are painted with brilliant stripes q
arnatto. The pigment Is a red powder
which covers the seeds contained in tn,
prickly burr Of the bixa plant 1t is an
article Of commerce on the upper waters
OF the Amazon and its tributaries, beine
exported in large quantities K
Europe, where it Is used fol
coloring butter and cheese. The sam,
: kind of face painting is practiced b,
the Campos, the most ferocious anc
treacherous of all the South American
Indians, who wear necklaces composed q
birds dried whole, OF interest also ar,
the Canelos, who adorn themselves with
beautiful earrings OF beetles wings, end.
ing in tufts Of bright feathers, and Will
strings of toucan tails dangling from
their shoulders. But most surprising o.
all, from another point OF view, are I'd,
Quichuas, who have peculiar method Of
NNrr1FfN N1SaoN f.