Page:The naturalist on the River Amazons 1863 v2.djvu/147

 a large cigar, made with an air of great mystery by rolling tobacco in folds of Tauari, and then sucks the place, drawing from his mouth, when he has finished, what he pretends to be the worm. It is a piece of very clumsy conjuring. One of these pajés was sent for by a woman in Joaõ Malagueita's family, to operate on a child who suffered much from pains in the head. Senhor Joaõ contrived to get possession of the supposed worm after the trick was performed in our presence, and it turned out to be a long white air-root of some plant. The pajé was with difficulty persuaded to operate whilst Senhor Joaõ and I were present. I cannot help thinking that he, as well as all others of the same profession, are conscious impostors, handing down the shallow secret of their divinations and tricks from generation to generation. The institution seems to be common to all tribes of Indians, and to be held to more tenaciously than any other.

The opposite (western) shore of the Tapajos for some distance beyond the falls, and the country thence to the channels behind Villa Nova, are inhabited by the Mauhés tribe, of whom I have spoken in a former chapter. These are also a settled, agricultural people, but speak a totally different language from that of the Mundurucús. I saw at Aveyros several men of this fine tribe, who were descending the river in a trading canoe, and who, on being confronted with a Mundurucú were quite unable to understand him. There are many other points of difference between the two tribes. The Mauhés are much less warlike, and do not practise tattooing. Their villages are composed of a number of small huts, tenanted by