II.

THE INDIANS OF THE CHACO.

Politically the Chaco, or Gran Chaco, is the tract nominally belonging to the inland and northern republics of the so-called Argentine Confederation, rather than to Bolivia; whilst geographically it is the water-system of the Paraguay and Upper La Plata, rather than of the Amazons. Ethnologically it is characterized by being the area of a civilization, which even when compared with that of Moxos and Chiquitos, is imperfect,--of a still more imperfect and partial Christianity, and of tribes which are at once nomadic, warlike, and independent; approaching, in their moral characters, the Charruas and Patagonians rather than the Peruvian.

The Indians of this part are either equestrian and nomadic, or else

## partially settled in villages; this latter being generally the case

where the forests are densest, and where the river-sides afford tracts of alluvial (and often half inundated) soil. Our knowledge of them is preeminently scanty; still such vocabularies as are known exhibit miscellaneous affinities with the languages of other tribes of South America in general.

THE ABIPONIANS.

_Divisions._--1. Abiponians Proper. 2. Mbocobis and Tobas. 3. Lenguas. 4. Payaguas. 5. Mataguayos. 6. Mbayas.

_Sub-divisions._--Of the Mataguayos. The Chaès (Qu.? Guanas), the Yoes, the Matacos, Begosos, Chunipis, and Oeolis.

_Localities._--_a._ Of the Abiponians, the central parts of the Chaco, conterminous with _b_, the Mbocobis and Tobas conterminous with the Araucanians of Chili. _c._ Of the Lenguas, the central parts of the Chaco. _d._ Of the Payaguas, the banks of the Paraguay as far as its junction with the Parana, _e._ Of the Mataguayos, the parts between the Pilcomayo and Vermejo. _f._ Of the Mbayas, the eastern shore of the Paraguay.

_The Guayanas._--I am unable to say how far this is the same tribe as the Chanès and Guanas.

_The Calchaquis._--In the time of Dobrizhofer, nearly extinct at present, most likely wholly so.--Equestrian.

_Malbalaes, Mataras, Palomos, Mogosnas, Oregones, Aquilotes, Churumates, Ojotades, Tanos, Quamalcas,_--probably extinct; at least they are placed by Dobrizhofer in the same category with the Calchaquis. Like the Calchaquis, also, they were equestrian.

_Natekebits._--Equestrian. Probably Abiponian.

_Amokebits._--Ditto.

_Yapetalecas._--Ditto.

Oekakakalots.--Ditto.

_The Lules._--Pedestrian; speaking the same language with

_The Vileles_ and--

_The Ysistines._--Pedestrian.

_The Tonocote._--Converted and partially settled in towns.

_The Homoampas_, the _Ocoles_, the _Pazaines_,--Christianized.

_The Caypotades_ and the _Ygaronos_, like the _Zamucus_, removed to the Missions.

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