The Natural History of the Varieties of Man

by R. G. Latham

CORETU.

Locality.—The Upper Apuré.

Language.—With general, but without particular affinities.

The Yupuas, on the Totá, a feeder of the Apuré, are said, by V. Martius, to be Coretu.

3. The parts north of the river Amazons, and east of the river Negro.—Here, as far as the politico-geographical division which gives a boundary to the empire of Brazil is concerned, we have nothing but the names of upwards of a dozen unknown tribes. By remembering, however, that the eastern frontier of this area is British Guiana, and by learning that some of the tribes are common to the two territories we derive some light; since, for British Guiana, the researches of Sir Robert Schomburgk have converted a (comparatively speaking) terra incognita, into an area as well understood as some of the better known parts of North America.

In British Guiana, the tribes not of Carib origin will be first enumerated; since in British Guiana the words not Carib have the same import as the words not Guarani have in Brazil. Like this last-named language in South, and the Algonkin and others in North America, the Carib is the single language of a large area, and like the Guarani and Algonkin it, as such, stands in remarkable contrast with numerous languages covering a small area which are spoken around it.

THE WAROWS.

Locality.—Sea-coast to the north of the Pomeroon river, mixed with the Arawaks.

Two points give prominence to the Warow tribe—the existence of a decidedly maritime turn of mind, and the use of a language which hitherto stands isolated. It has, however, numerous miscellaneous affinities. A remarkable want of taste for the enlivening effects of music has been attributed to many of the tribes of South America. Now, whatever may be the case with those of Brazil, it is not so with the Indians of Guiana. Not only does Sir R. Schomburgk especially notice the music of the Carib Macusi, but that of other tribes as well; amongst which are the Warow, who "possess several instruments, chiefly flutes, made upon primitive principles; some of reeds or bamboo, others of the thigh-bones of animals. The Warau Indians have, in large settlements, the band-master, or hohohit, whose duty it is to train his pupils to blow upon flutes made of reeds and bamboo, in which a small reed, on the principle of the clarionet, is introduced, and, according to the size of the opening, it causes a higher or deeper sound, and this is in some instances powerfully increased by a hollow bamboo, often five feet long, which is called wauawalli. These rude musicians are taught, according as their band-master makes a sign, to fall in with their instruments, and thus produce an effect similar to the Russian horn-bands. The effect, chiefly at a short distance, resembles strikingly that peculiar music of the Russians, and the favourite melody of the Waraus has something musical in its composition surpassing all others."