into
their territory. The wild Indians in Central Peru are most set against
the Christians, particularly those called Iscuchanos, in the Montana de
Huanta, and those known by the name of Chunchos, in the Montana de
Vitoc. The Iscuchanos sometimes maintain with the inhabitants of Huanta
a trade of barter; but this intercourse is occasionally interrupted by
long intervals of hostility, during which the Iscuchanos, though rather
an inoffensive race, commit various depredations on the Huantanos;
driving the cattle from the pastures, carrying off the produce of the
soil, and spreading terror throughout the whole district. Some years
ago, when the inhabitants of Huanta had assembled for the procession of
the Festival of Corpus Christi, a troop of Iscuchanos came upon them
with wild bulls, turning the infuriated animals against the procession,
which was dispersed, and many of the Huantanos were killed or severely
wounded. These Iscuchanos are so favored by the locality of the district
they inhabit, that even were a military expedition sent to drive them
farther back into the woods, it would probably be unsuccessful.

The Chunchos are far more dangerous, and are one of the most formidable
races of the Indios Bravos. They inhabit the most southern part of the
Pampa del Sacramento (the terra incognita of Peru), and chiefly the
district through which flow the rivers Chanchamayo and Perene. Those
regions are inhabited by a great number of tribes, most of which are
only known by name. The frontier neighbors of the Chunchos are the
sanguinary Campas or Antes who destroyed the missions of Jesus Maria in
Pangoa, and who still occasionally pay hostile visits to San
Buenaventura de Chavini, the extreme Christian outpost in the Montana de
Andamarca. The savage race of the Casibos, the enemies of all the
surrounding populations, inhabit the banks of the river Pachitea. This
race maintains incessant war with all the surrounding tribes, and
constantly seeks to destroy them. According to the accounts of the
missionaries, they, as well as the Antes and Chunchos, are still
cannibals, and undertake warlike expeditions for the purpose of
capturing prisoners, whom they devour. After the rainy season, when
the Simirinches, the Amapuahas, or Consbos, hunt in the western
forests, they often fall into the hands of the Casibos, who imitate in
perfection the cries of the forest animals, so that the hunters are
treacherously misled, and being captured, a