A history of the Brazil : $b comprising its geography, commerce, colonization, aboriginal inhabitants, &c. &c. &c.Henderson, James
History
A history of the Brazil : $b comprising its geography, commerce, colonization, aboriginal inhabitants, &c. &c. &c.
Henderson, James
Brazil; Brazil -- History -- To 1822
It is the least known amongst the districts of this province, not yet
possessing a single Christianized establishment. The Cayapos, divided
into various tribes, under whose dominion it hitherto remains, have
from time to time made destructive sallies upon the caravans of Cuiaba,
and invaded the northern part of the province of St. Paulo, where they
have occasioned the flight of many colonies. They wander about almost
in a state of nudity. Besides the bow and arrow, arms common to all the
other Indian nations, they use also a club about one yard in length, of
choice wood, round at the end which they lay hold of, and flat in the
form of an oar at the other, the whole ornamented or dressed with the
barks of shrubs of various colours, and woven in imitation of a mat.
A blow from this weapon is fatal. Honey, fish, wild fruits, and game
are their aliment. Their principal dwelling places are in the vicinity
of the river Cururuhy, and not far removed from the cataract of Urubu
Punga, whither they are in the habit of proceeding in large parties,
for the purpose of fishing. There are times that the Portuguese do
not experience any hostility from these Indians, and amongst other
instances, one occurred in the year 1810, when Dr. Joam Ferreyra,
treasurer-mor of the cathedral of St. Paulo, in order to gratify his
curiosity, proceeded to visit and examine this famous cataract, where
he arrived at the same time that a tribe of Cayapos appeared there, who
conducted themselves as ancient allies, and with every appearance of
friendship; they received graciously the presents which the traveller
liberally offered to them, and allowed various persons of both sexes
and different ages to remain in his company.
The ancient certanistas met with various rivers in the interior of
this district, flowing southward, and their diaries enumerate, amongst
others, the Perdiçao, which is nearest to the Annicuns, and most
probably one of its tributaries; the Turvo, the Doirados, the Gallera,
and the Pasmados, which is the most westerly, receives some of the
preceding, and falls into the Parannan, near the cascade of Urubu
Punga, under the name of Cururuhy. They also mention the Appary, which
discharges itself into the said Parannan, many leagues above the fall,
and two Cayapos, both tributaries like the preceding river, and little
distant, one to the south and the other to the north of it.
The Sucuriu is considerable, disembogues a little below the Tiete, and
is navigable nearly to its origin, which is north of Camapuan, upon the
border of Bororonia. A certanista proceeded by it with his canoes to
the Piquery, which conducted them to the river St. Lourenço.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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