in order to show how soon civilization--if
donning a pair of trousers and shoes and a collar and tie can be called
being civilized--can be discarded.

[Illustration: Bororo Men.

(The aprons are not actually worn.)]

The news had spread by word of mouth down the Araguaya many months ahead
that a Brazilian expedition would be sent out with gifts, in order to
befriend the Indians--supposed to be innumerable: only a few dozens, all
counted, in reality. Seeing no expedition arrive, the Indians--five or
six--proceeded to travel some hundreds of miles to go and find it. The
expedition for lack of money had remained stuck in a certain town. It was
in that town that the valuable photographs were taken. No sooner had they
said good-bye to their generous donors than the Indians left the city,
quickly removed their clothes, which they exchanged for a few drinks of
_aguardente_ (fire-water), and, as naked as before, returned to the
shores of their beloved river.

Nevertheless the movement of the Brazilian Government was extremely
praiseworthy and did it great credit. Like all movements of that kind it
was bound to go to excesses in the beginning, especially in Brazil, where
people were very generous when they were generous at all. So that so far
the fault has been on the right side. It will undoubtedly prevent in the
future much severe, even cruel treatment which has been bestowed on the
Indians.

It was only a great pity--a very great pity--that this movement for the
protection of the Indians had been started when there were few pure
Indians--almost none--left to protect. According to Brazilian statements,
the wild Indians of Central Brazil amounted to some fifteen or twenty
millions or thereabouts! A few--very few--thousands, perhaps only
hundreds, would be nearer the truth. There were no great tribes left in
their absolutely wild state anywhere in Brazil. There were a few small
tribes or families scattered here and there, but it was seldom that these
tribes numbered more than twenty or thirty members. If the tribe numbered
fifty individuals it was already a large tribe. Most of them contained
merely six or eight members. So that really, in the population of
Brazil, these tribes, instead of being the chief factor, were in fact a
negligible quantity. It would be rash to make a statement as to the exact
number of wild Indians in Brazil, for in a country so big--larger, as I
have already stated, than the United States of Americ