El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-23

old a small hole Is made in her lower hp
with a hard pointed stick, and plug
is put In to keep the hole open. From
time to time the plug used is larger
and larger until at last It Is often as
big around as a tumbler, the lip finally
becoming a mere ring Of skin around
the wood. The BOtOcudos also use ear
plugs. and these are sometimes OF the
size of a napkin ring or larger Ahere
are many of these plugs among the eN-
hibits of the National museum. some
that / measured are disks OF llsnt
wood three inches in diameter. There
are almost as big around as PINT TN
cup.
CaribS an Island Tribe.
The third and fourth families TO
which the Brazilian indians belong are
the Caribs and the Arawaks- ne
Caribs inhabited the islands of the
Caribbean sea They are supposed 10
have originated in the plains OF Goyaz
and Matte Crosse and from there TO
have travelled northward- The Ara
walks were originally most numerous
along the lower Amazon but Lhey
were also spread over central BrazlL
The Caribs were ferocious ana war
like. They We're caunibals and CoIum-
bus described them as such The
color Of the Caribs is that OF copper,
but it varies in the different tribes
They have long. black hair and fea-
lures somewhat like the Chinese The
people pull out all the hair on their
bodies except that on the head In
some cases this is so even to the eve
brows
The Arawaks were physically un-
equal TO the Caribs. but they were
more civilized weaving cloth OF vari-
Gus kinds and worklus In stone and
gold Their tribes were scattered
throughout Brazil and they reached
10 the Caribbean and most or the West
Indies islands. Their chief descend
ants of today are found in the Guianas
although some Of the tribes here come
from them
Many Relics Of BraziIians.
During my visit TO the museum /
have seen relics Of most Of the Bra
lillian tribes and models typical OF the
most famous of them They have
plaster figures here OF the BotOcudOs
with the blocks of wood i'm their lips
and also the civilized Tacuuas- who
make most beautiful hammocks Of
grass cloth embroidered with feathers
The TaCuuas live along the Amazon
and they use poisoned arrows as
means Of defense
The museum has r-any blowpipes.
such as are used TO shoot these arrows
The pipes are about an ich I'm diameter
and from 10 to i feet in length. They
are made of hard wood. which in split
and then followed out After that the
parts are glued tOgecner and wrapped
with rattan so that they are perfectly
alright The arrows are about a foot
long and as thick as a darning needle.
They are as sharp rs a needle On the
blunt end Of the arrow is a wrapping
Of cotton so made that IL fits into a
hole i'm the blowpipe. I am told that
the indians can blow these arrows to
distance of 80 feet or more. The
poison IS put on the point and some
times II covers the Upper part Of the
arrow. It is deadly.
Use Poisoned Arrows.
Many Of the indian tribes use these
arrows not only for fi--Idng, but for
the killing OF birds and other game
They have one kind OF poison which
causes almost instant death IL il gets
into the blood II attacks the nerves
Of motion and produces paralysis OF
breathing organs At the same time
it has no bad effect upon the use of
the flesh of the animal as food The
BOtOcudOs have very fine arrows which
they carry in Quivers. A single CULVER
viii hold a dozen arrows, each Of the
size of a knitting needle The indians
use spears Of bamboo tipped with heads
of bone or stone and for hand to hand
fights they have clubs Of wood In the
ends Of the clubs they put the teeth Of
animals The spears are sometimes
tipped with teeth dipped in poison
Head Hunters OF TapajOs.
Another indian tribe Of which the ]
m uSeum mas many relics IS the Nun
durucu. found on the Amazon and its
tributaries There are large tribes of /
them along the river TapajOs. These I
indians are much like our Igorrotes of 4
the Philippines or the head hunters /
Of Formosa-
They capture and cure the heads I
Of their enemies There are a number /
Of specimens of cured heads in the
museums One such head is shaved I
except at the crown, the space over 4
each ear being decorated with bright 4
feathers The head has not been re-
duced in size as is common among !
some of the indians Of Peru. Its fea-
lures have been perfectly preserved.
the eyes having been filled with rubber
d gum and pieces Of white bone in
serted therein to represent the whites
The mouth is closed with black gum or
rubber.
SavaEes Dying Out Rapidly.
The director Of the museum tells me
hat these savages are fast dying out
and that many Of the tribes now in ex-
stence are becoming civilized. During !