It is in the basin of the Orinoco that we meet with most of these tribes who have as yet been little studied; the Otomacs between the Apure and Meta rivers, geophagous and monogamous; the Guamos of the Rio Apure, reduced to a few families; the Piaroas, whose sub-brachycephalic heads are often deformed; the Chiricoas and the Guahibos, veritable “gypsies” of South America, who are encountered between the Meta, the Orinoco, and the Rio Branco; lastly, the Guaraunos or Warraus of the coast between the mouths of the Orinoco and the Corentin (Figs. [165] and [166]), probably allied to the Guayqueris of the country around Cumana in Venezuela. The latter, however, are sub-dolichocephalic (ceph. ind. on five liv. subjects, 78.5 according to Ten Kate), while the Guaraunos are all mesocephalic (ceph. ind. 81.5 according to the same author). In the upper valleys of the numerous rivers which combine to form the Amazon, there are likewise dwelling tribes of undetermined linguistic affinities, whose names only are known. The most important, that of the Zaparos or Jeberos (about 15,000 individuals), is stationed between the Pastaza and Napo rivers, as well as along the Maranon from the mouth of the Zamora to that of the Morona. Farther north in the Cordilleras, in a state of complete independence, dwell the Jebaros or Jevaros (Civaros), fierce warriors, celebrated for their skill in preparing the heads of their vanquished enemies; these are hideous mummified and shrivelled objects with their long hair left on them.[661] To the east of the Jevaros are the Maynas, and on the Rio Javary, the Yameos or Lamas. Farther east again, near the Rio Napo, wander the hunting tribes, the Tecunas or Triconnas, and the Orejones, so named from their habit of inserting wooden plugs into the lobe of the ear, a practice which, however, is also found among several other peoples.
III. The Indians of East Brazil and the Central Region of South America belong on the one side to the Ges or Ghes linguistic family (formerly called Tapuyas, Botocudos, etc.), and on the other form several tribes whose affinities are yet to be determined. Lastly, the Tupi-Guarani linguistic family (see p. [567]) is also represented in this region. From the ethnological point of view these three groups of population have felt the influence of environment and habitat; we must therefore consider separately the Indians of east Brazil and those of the central region, and lastly the Tupi-Guarani family.
FIG. 171.—Bakairi, Carib tribe of upper Xingu.
(Phot. Ehrenreich.)
1. East Brazil is composed of plateaux formed of friable rocks rising to the east of the Tocantins between the wooded Sierras. These plateaux do not afford so many resources as the Amazon region; thus it is that the tribes inhabiting them are more uncivilised, often more wretched than the Amazonians. The rarity of hard rocks suitable for the manufacture of tools causes many of them to be still in the wood age. The greater part belong to the Ges or Ghes linguistic family. This term, which comes from the syllable “ges” placed at the end of most of the tribal names, was adopted by Martius to designate the Botocudos and some neighbouring tribes. But of recent years Von den Steinen and Ehrenreich have widened the meaning of this word.[662] Henceforth it denotes a collection of tribes which, besides linguistic character, exhibit many other common features in their habits and mode of life (great phalansterial houses with private hearths for each family, absence of hammocks, ignorance of navigation,[663] use of “botocs” or ear and lip plugs, arrows barbed on one side, etc.). Among the tribes of the Ges tongue we must distinguish those which dwell on the right bank of the Tocantins in east Brazil and those who have migrated to the west of this river into the centre of Southern America. The former have retained much better their individual character, but they have been partly decimated by the European colonists, and are not very numerous at the present day. Of the ancient Kamakans, of the Patacho, and so many other tribes, there remain but the memory or a few hybrid descendants, but three tribes have yet preserved themselves more or less intact in the midst of their forests: the Botocudos, the Kayapos, and the Cainguas. The Botocudos or Aymoros,[664] who call themselves Burus, dwell between the Rio Doce and the Rio Pardo (Minas Geraes Prov.). They are men of low stature (1 m. 59 according to Ehrenreich), dolichocephalic (mean ceph. ind. 74.1 on the skull, according to Rey, Peixoto, etc.; 78.2 on the liv. sub.), and their skulls recall very strongly those of the prehistoric race of Lagoa Santa and the “Sambaquis,” while the living subjects are closely allied to the Fuegians, as much by the size and form of the head as by the lines of the face, the prominent supraciliary ridges, the sunk nose narrow at the root, etc. I have given (pp. [160], [210], etc.) several characteristics of the ethnography of the Botocudos. The Kayapos,[665] who were believed to be an extinct race, and who, on the contrary, are one of the most important and warlike tribes of Brazil, are divided into three sections. The Northern Kayapos occupy the middle Tocantins, and overflow on one side into the sterile “Sertaos” of the province of Maranon, and on the other into central Brazil, on the left bank of the lower Araguaya; the Western Kayapos, who keep in the upper valley of the Xingu, have been described by Ehrenreich and Von den Steinen under the names of Suya and Akua (the Chavantes-Cherentes of the Brazilians). They differ from the Botocudos in physique, being brachycephalic, tall, and very light-skinned. As to ethnical characteristics, these are for the most part borrowed from their Carib and Arawak neighbours. The Southern Kayapos (near the river Parana, 20° S. lat.) are merely known by name. The Kaingans or Kame, wrongly called Coroados (see p. [545]), inhabit the mountains of the Brazilian provinces of São Paulo, S. Catharina, and Rio Grande do Sul; they are tribes of uncivilised and nomadic hunters.
Besides the clans of the Ges family, we must also mention in the eastern region of Brazil the following tribes whose languages have not been classified, and whose affinities with the Ges are not very clear. The more important of these tribes are the Puris or Pouris and the Kiriris, wrongly called “Tapuyas” or “Coroados” (see p. [545]). At the beginning of the century the Puris in fairly large numbers still inhabited—together with the Koropos—the mountains between Rio de Janeiro and Uro Preto. There is but a small remnant left at the present day, consisting of a few individuals living together in the hamlet of San Laurenço and in the “aldeamento” of Etueto, near to the boundary line of the Minas Geraes and Spiritu Santo provinces. Formerly the Puris comprised several tribes, hunters and fishers. They plaited their hammocks, had special ceremonies when their daughters arrived at the age of puberty, believed in a superior spirit, “Tupan,” having the form of a white bird, etc.
The Kiriris or Sabuyas of the province of Pernambuco formed, two centuries ago, a powerful and semi-civilised nation; there are now only 600 left, living under wretched conditions in the lower valley of the São Francisco.
2. The central region of South America is formed of table-lands and wooded chains which cover the south-east of Bolivia and the Brazilian province of Matto Grosso (twice as big as France). Corresponding to the diversity of the elevations and climates there is a diversity of peoples inhabiting the country. We have already observed in this region tribes of Carib speech (Bakairi, etc.), of Arawak (Paressi, etc.), of Ges (western and southern Kayapos), and we may further notice tribes of Tupi speech (the Chiquitos, etc.). But outside of these classified peoples there are other ethnic groups occupying the table-lands of Matto Grosso, whose affinities are not yet well known, the more important of them being the Karayas, the Trumai, and Bororos.[666]
The Karayas are divided into two sections which know nothing of each other. It was the northern Kayapos of Ges speech who thus separated the Karayas, driving them, on the one side, into the valley of the Xingu, and on the other, into the valley of the Araguaya. Like the Ges, the Karayas are unacquainted with the use of the hammock, but, unlike them, are good boatmen and draughtsmen. It has been observed that they have a special language for the women, which appears to be the ancient form of the present language of the men. They are fairly tall (1 m. 69) and dolichocephalic (ceph. ind. 73), their nose is convex, and their hair sometimes curly.