Botocudos, the most barbarous of the Indian tribes of Brazil, inhabiting the East Coast range, between the Rio Pardo and the Rio Doce. They are of middle height, sturdily built, and have small hands and feet; their features are strongly marked, with broad cheek-bones, and repulsively thick lips and nose, redeemed by white, regular teeth, and sparkling black eyes. They are rather yellow than copper-coloured, and their hair, of which only a tuft is worn on the smooth-shaven head, is not quite black. Their name is derived from the
Portuguese botoque, 'bung-hole,' with reference to their under-lip pierced to hold a disc of wood, sometimes inches in diameter. They generally go quite naked, and have no fixed settlements, but in their wanderings through the country keep the routes open by means of bridges of creepers woven into ropes. Their food includes anything not absolutely poisonous that will stay their hunger; even soft earth is eaten. Their speech is entirely distinct from that of the other Indian nations; they have no religion, properly speaking, but are abjectly afraid of spirits, and pay a certain worship to the moon as creator of the world. Un-governably passionate, they often commit outrageous cruelties; but through systematically cruel treatment they have been almost annihilated, and now number not more than 4000.