第23章

The civilised Tapuyo of Para differs in no essential point, in physical or moral qualities, from the Indian of the interior.He is more stoutly built, being better fed than some of them; but in this respect there are great differences amongst the tribes themselves.He presents all the chief characteristics of the American red man.The skin of a coppery brown colour, the features of the face broad, and the hair black, thick, and straight.He is generally about the middle height, thick-set, has a broad muscular chest, well-shaped but somewhat thick legs and arms, and small hands and feet.The cheek bones are not generally prominent; the eyes are black, and seldom oblique like those of the Tartar races of Eastern Asia, which are supposed to have sprung from the same original stock as the American red man.The features exhibit scarcely any mobility of expression; this is connected with the excessively apathetic and undemonstrative character of the race.They never betray, in fact they do not feel keenly, the emotions of joy, grief, wonder, fear, and so forth.They can never be excited to enthusiasm; but they have strong affections, especially those connected with family.It is commonly stated by the whites and negroes that the Tapuyo is ungrateful.Brazilian mistresses of households, who have much experience of Indians, have always a long list of instances to relate to the stranger, showing their base ingratitude.They certainly do not appear to remember or think of repaying benefits, but this is probably because they did not require, and do not value such benefits as their would-be masters confer upon them.I have known instances of attachment and fidelity on the part of Indians towards their masters, but these are exceptional cases.All the actions of the Indian show that his ruling desire is to be let alone; he is attached to his home, his quiet monotonous forest and river life; he likes to go to towns occasionally, to see the wonders introduced by the white man, but he has a great repugnance to living in the midst of the crowd; he prefers handicraft to field labour, and especially dislikes binding himself to regular labour for hire.He is shy and uneasy before strangers, but if they visit his abode, he treats them well, for he has a rooted appreciation of the duty of hospitality; there is a pride about him, and being naturally formal and polite, he acts the host with great dignity.He withdraws from towns as soon as the stir of civilisation begins to make itself felt.When we first arrived at Para many Indian families resided there, for the mode of living at that time was more like that of a large village than a city; but as soon as river steamers and more business activity were introduced, they all gradually took themselves away.

These characteristics of the Para Indians are applicable, of course, to some extent, to the Mamelucos, who now constitute a great proportion of the population.The inflexibility of character of the Indian, and his total inability to accommodate himself to new arrangements, will infallibly lead to his extinction, as immigrants, endowed with more supple organisations, increase, and civilisation advances in the Amazon region.But, as the different races amalgamate readily, and the offspring of white and Indian often become distinguished Brazilian citizens, there is little reason to regret the fate of the race.Formerly the Indian was harshly treated, and even now he is so, in many parts of the interior.But, according to the laws of Brazil, he is a free citizen, having equal privileges with the whites; and there are very strong enactments providing against the enslaving and ill-treatment of the Indians.The residents of the interior, who have no higher principles to counteract instinctive selfishness or antipathy of race, cannot comprehend why they are not allowed to compel Indians to work for them, seeing that they will not do it of their own accord.The inevitable result of the conflict of interests between a European and a weaker indigenous race, when the two come in contact, is the sacrifice of the latter.In the Para district, the Indians are no longer enslaved, but they are deprived of their lands, and this they feel bitterly, as one of them, an industrious and worthy man, related to me.Is not a similar state of things now exhibited in New Zealand, between the Maoris and the English colonists?