In their immediate neighbourhood, the Catauixis tribe is found. Though
they go naked, they build houses, and use bows and gravatanas. Their
canoes are constructed of the bark of a tree taken off entire. They are
also cannibals, and murder the people of other tribes whom they can
surprise.
Many of the least barbarous tribes have frequently large meetings, when
they dress up in feather ornaments of parrots and macaws in a variety of
curious disguises. The chief wears a head-dress of toucan feathers,
with the erect tail-plumes rising from the crown. The mask dresses are
long cloaks, made of the inner bark of a tree. Sometimes they
manufacture head-pieces, by stretching the cloth over a basketwork
frame, to represent the heads of monkeys and other animals. When thus
dressed, they perform a monotonous seesaw and stamping dance,
accompanied by singing and drumming. Often this sport is kept up for
several days and nights in succession. During the time, they drink
large quantities of caxiri, while they smoke tobacco and take snuff.
Their chief masker represents their demon Jurupari, but he does not
appear to be treated with any particular respect.
Very little information has been gathered of the history of these
tribes, as they seldom possess any knowledge of their ancestors beyond
the times of their fathers or grandfathers. Few of them have benefited
in any way by their intercourse with white men, but remain in the same
barbarous condition in which they have probably existed for many
centuries. A further description of their savage customs would be more
disagreeable than satisfactory. We can only hope that the true gospel
may be some day carried among them, and that they may be redeemed from
their present barbarous condition.