A Vanished Arcadia: being some account of the Jesuits in Paraguay 1607-1767 by R. B. (Robert Bontine) Cunninghame Graham
page 44 of 350 (12%)
page 44 of 350 (12%)
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por todo el Brasil y cin~iendo el Peru con los dos mas grandes rios
que conoce el orbe que son el de la Plata, cuya boca en Buenos-Ayres es de ochenta leguas, y el gran Maran~on, a\ el inferior en nada e que pasa bien vecino de la ciudad de Cuzco.' ** Barco de la Centenera, in `La Argentina', canto v., also refers to `La Casa del Gran Moxo'. It was situated `en una laguna', and was `toda de piedra labrada'. -- To-day all the Guaranis who are still unconquered live in the impenetrable forests of the North of Paraguay or in the Brazilian province of Matto Grosso. Their limits to the south extend to near the ruined missions of Jesus and Trinidad. By preference, they seem to dwell about the sources of the Igatimi, an affluent of the Parana, and in the chain of mountains known either as San Jose or Mbaracayu. The Paraguayans generally refer to them as Monteses (dwellers in the woods), and sometimes as Caaguas. They present almost the same characteristics as they did at the discovery of the country, and wander in the woods as the Jesuits describe them as doing three hundred years ago. Olive in colour, rather thickly set, of medium height, thin beards, and generally little hair upon the body, their type has remained unchanged. The difference in stature amongst the Guaranis is less noticeable than amongst Europeans. Their language is poorer than the Guarani spoken by the Paraguayans, and the pronunciation both more nasal and guttural. Their numerals only extend to four, as was the case at the time of the discovery.* -- * Their numerals are four in number (`petei^, mocoi^, mbohapi=, ira^ndi='); after this they are said to count in Spanish in the same way |
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