Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/47

 SIPIBO

25

SIPIBO

de Pisqui. This was shortly followed by the founding of Santa Barbara de Archani and Santa Ciuz de Aguaitia in the same tribe, together with a resump- tion of work among the Conibo, first undertaken in 16S.5. Among other labourers in the Sipibo field at

this period was Father Jos6 Amich, author of a history of the Ucayali missions. Suddenly and without warn- ing in the summer of 1766 all the river tribes attacked the missions simultaneousl}', slaughtered nine of the missionaries together with their neophytes, and com- pletely destroyed all that had been accomplished by years of persevering sacrifice. Rungato, a Setebo chief, who had professed the greatest friendship for the missionaries, appears to have been the leader. The reason of the outbreak was never known. It may have been jealousy of authority, impatience of re- strant, covet ousness of the mission property, some unrecorded outrage by the Spaniards on the frontier, some dream, or superstitious panic such as are of so frequent occurrence among savages. A small relief expedition sent out in charge of three Franciscans the next year learned the details of the massacre, and was forced to turn back, but was permitted to retire with- out mole.station.

This last rising of the wild tribes of the middle Ucayali was in some measure an echo of a similar

AboRIOIKAL HotTSE ON THE UCAYALI RiVER

The hanging bags contain pounded manioc root from which the poisonous juice is being pressed out.

rising of the wild Carapa tribes on the upper branches of the same stream in 1742, led by Juan Santos, an apostate Quichua Indian, who assumed the title of the Inca Atahualpa (see Quichua), and resulting in the

destruction of all the missions of that region and the slaughter of nearly eighty Franciscan missionaries. Of this rising of the Campa, Herndon says: "It is quite evident that no distaste for the Catholic religion induced tliis rebeUion; for in the year 17.50, eight years afterward, the Marquis of ISIina-hcrmosa, marching into this countrj- for the punishment of the rebels, found the church at Quimisi in perfect order, with candles burning before the images. He burned the town and church, and six years after this, when another entrance into this country was made by Gen- eral Bustamente, he found the town rebuilt and a large cross erected in the middle of the plaza. I have had occasion myself to notice the respect and rev- erence of these Indians for their pastors, and their delight in participating in the ceremonial and sense- strikmg worship of the Roman Church." A similar nibtance is recorded of the revolted Pueblos (q. v.), ai also of the unconverted Setebo. Following close upon the massacre of 1766 came the expulsion of the Jesuits by royal decree in the following year, and the Ucayah region was given over to barbarism until 1791, when by direction of the superior of the Fran- ciscan college of Ocopa, Father Narci.so Girbal with two companions once more braved the wilderness dangers and made successful founda- tion at Sarayacu (q. V.) int'i which mission and its branches most of tlie wandering river Indians were finally gathered.

A description of the Sipibo will answer in most of its details for all the tribes of the Ucayah and Huallaga region, within the former sphere of influence of the Franciscan missionaries, with the addition that certain tribes, particularly the Cashibo, were

noted for their cannibahsm. There was \ery lit t le tribal solidarity, each so-called tribe being broken up into petty bands ruled by local chiefs, and seldom acting together e\en against a common enemy. They sub- sist I'd chiefly on fish, game, turtle eggs, bananas, yuccas, and a little corn, agriculture, however, being but feebly developed. The root of the yucca was roasted as bread, ground between stones for flour, boiled or fried, while from the juice, fermented with saliva, was prepared the intoxicating masato or rhirlia, which was in requisition at all family or tribal festivals. .Salt was seldom used, but clay-eating was conimon and sometimes of fatal con.sequence. Their houses, scattered simply at intervals along the streams, were of open framework thatched with palm leaves. The arrow poison, usually known as curari, was pre- pared from the juice of certain hanas or tree vines ,ind was an article of intertribal trade over a great extent of territory. They either went entirely naked or wore a" short skirt or sleeveless shirt woven of cotton or bark fibre. Head flattening and the wearing of nose and ear pendants and labrets were common. They blackened their teeth with a vegetable dye. The modern civilized Indians dress in light peon fashion.

Although most of the tribes could count no higher than five, their general mentality was high, and they progressed rapidly in civilized arts. Their religion

il