_Arauas_ (_Araó_), on the lower Jurua.
_Pamas_, formerly on the Madeira.
_Pammarys_, on the Rio Purus.
_Puru-purus_, on the Rio Purus.
The jargon of the Yaguas, on the Amazon between Nauta and Pebas, seems to
have borrowed from this stock; as:
YAGUA. PAMMARY.
Sun, _ini_, _saf-iny_.
Water, _haha_, _paha_.
The neighbors of the Arauas on the river Purus are the _Hypurinas_
(better Jupurinas) of whose language Mr. Chandless also supplies a
short vocabulary. It contains a few words in common with the Pammary,
but probably only borrowed by both from the Arawak. The following will
illustrate the two tongues:
PAMMARY. JUPURINA.
Sun, _safiny_, _atocanti_.
Moon, _massicu_, _cassiri_.
Fire, _siju_, _chamina_.
Water, _paha_, _iborahai_.
River, _wainy_, _weni_.
Dog, _djuimahi_, _anguity_.
Tortoise, _ú-jurú_, _chetuyu_.
Tapir, _dama_, _chama_.
The Hypurinas on the Rio Acre (or Aquiri) belong to the same tribe. They
are said to be related to the Chacobos and the Piros of the Ucayali.
They are without civilization. The women go naked, but the men wear long
purple robes, and both sexes pierce the lips and nose. Some agriculture
is carried on, but hunting and fishing are the main sources of the food
supply.[463]
The total number of natives on the Purus and its affluents was estimated
by Colonel Labré, in 1885, at 40,000, “speaking forty or more different
languages;” but this last assertion we may take with large allowance.
Probably not over four or five stocks are represented. The same explorer
names nine tribes visited by him on the river Ituxy. They are the: 1,
Caccharari; 2, Canamary; 3, Catauxi; 4, Guarayo; 5, Huatanary; 6,
Hypurina; 7, Hyuma; 8, Pamana; and 9, Pammary tribes.[464]
In this list, as elsewhere, the term _Guarayos_ has no ethnic
significance. It is a Tupi word applied in this Spanish form to various
wild, uncivilized tribes.
_9. The Bolivian Highlands: the Chiquitos, Yurucares, Mosetenas, Tacanas,
Samucus, Canichanas and others._
On the Atlantic face of the Cordillera, in the easternmost portion of
Bolivia, where the head-waters of the Madeira are known by the names of
the Mamore, the Guapai and the Beni, there is an astonishing variety of
linguistic stocks. It would seem that the broken remnants of many diverse
nations had sought refuge in the deep vales and dense forests of this
region.
We have already seen that the Caribs were represented here by the
Palmellas, and the Arawaks by the Moxos and Baures. South of the Moxos
was the extensive region of the _Chiquitos_, stretching between south
latitude 16° and 18°, and from the upper affluents of the Paraguay
river to the summit of the Cordillera. On the south it adjoined the
Gran Chaco, and on the west the territory of the Kechuas. They were a
medium-sized, mild-mannered people, mostly of little culture, depending
on the chase for food, but willingly adopting the agricultural life
recommended to them by the missionaries. They were divided into a vast
number of small roving bands, the most important group of which were the
Manacicas, whose homes were near Lake Xaray, about the head-waters of
the Paraguay. Their myths relating to a male and female deity and their
son reminded the Jesuits of the Christian Trinity.[465] The Manacicas
were agriculturists and remarkably skilful potters. The villages they
constructed were surrounded with palisades and divided by broad streets.
The corpses of the dead were deposited in underground vaults, and both
property and rank passed in the male line to the sons of the deceased.
The Chiquito language is interesting for its scope and flexibility,
being chiefly made up of generic particles capable of indefinite
combination.[466] It is singular in having no numerals, not even as
far as three. Its four principal dialects were those of the Taos, the
Piñocos, the Manacicas and the Penoquies.[467] It was selected by the
missionaries as the medium of instruction for a number of the neighboring
tribes.
Of such tribes there were many, widely different in speech, manners and
appearance from the Chiquitos. Some of them are particularly noteworthy
for their un-Indian type. Thus, to the west of the Chiquitos, on the
banks of the rivers Mamore and Chavari, were the Yurucares, the Tacanas
and the Mosetenas, all neighbors, and though not of one tongue, yet alike
in possessing a singularly white skin and fine features. Their color
is as light and as really white as many southern Europeans, the face
is oval, the nose straight, fine, and often aquiline, the lips thin,
the cheek-bones not prominent, the eyes small, dark and horizontal, the
expression free and noble. They are of pure blood, and the most important
tribe of them derived their name, _Yurucares_, white men, from their
Kechua neighbors before the conquest. They are usually uncommonly tall
(1.75), bold warriors, lovers of freedom and given to a hunting life. The
women are often even taller and handsomer than the men.
The traveler D’Orbigny suggested that this light color arose from their
residence under the shade of dense forests in a hot and humid atmosphere.
He observed that many of them had large patches of albinism on their
persons.[468]
The branches of these stocks may be classed as follows: