The Abipones, in their whole deportment, preserve a decorum scarce credible to Europeans. Their countenance and gait display a modest cheerfulness, and manly gravity tempered with gentleness and kindness. Nothing licentious, indecent, or uncourteous, is discoverable in their actions. In their daily meetings, all is quiet and orderly. Confused vociferations, quarrels, or sharp words, have no place there. They love jokes in conversation, but are averse to indecency and ill-nature. If any dispute arises, each declares his opinion with a calm countenance and unruffled speech: they never break out into clamours, threats, and reproaches, as is usual to certain people of Europe. These praises are justly due to the Abipones as long as they remain sober: but when intoxicated, they shake off the bridle of reason, become distracted, and quite unlike themselves. In their assemblies, they maintain the utmost politeness. One scarcely dares to interrupt another, when he is speaking. Whilst one man relates some event of war, perhaps for half an hour together, all the rest not only listen attentively, but assent at every sentence, making a loud snort, as a sign of affirmation, which they every now and then express with these words: _quevorken_, certainly, _cleerà_, very true, and _chik akalagritan_, I don't in the least doubt it. _Ta yeegàm_, or _kem ekemat!_ are exclamations of wonder. With these words, uttered with great eagerness, they interrupt the preacher in the midst of his discourse, thinking it a mark of respect. They account it extremely ill-mannered to contradict any one, however much he may be mistaken. They salute one another, and return the salute in these words: _La nauichi?_ Now are you come? _La ñauè_, Now I am come. But in general, for the sake of brevity, both parties only use the word _Là_, pronounced with much emphasis. The same manner of saluting is usual to the Guaranies, who say _Ereyupà_? Are you come? _Ayù angâ_, I am come. When tired of a conversation, they never depart without taking leave of the master of the house. The one who sits nearest to him, says: _Ma chik kla leyà?_ Have we not talked enough? the second accosts the third, and the third the fourth, in the same words, till at length the last of the circle, seated on the ground, declares that they have talked enough: _Kla leyà_, upon which they all rise up together at one moment. Each then courteously takes leave of the master of the house in these words, _Lahikyegarik_: now I am going from you; to which he replies, _La micheroà_: now you are going from me. The plebeian Indians say _Lahik_, now I am going. When at the door of the house, that is, at the place where they go out, for they have no doors, they turn to the master, and say, _Tamtařa_, I shall see you again, an expression commonly made use of in our country. They would think it quite contrary to the laws of good-breeding, were they to meet any one, and not ask him