An unknown people in an unknown land : an account of the life and customs of the Lengua Indians of the Paraguayan Chaco, with adventures and experiences during twenty years' pioneering and exploration amongst them / by W. Barbrooke Grubb.

  • Grubb, W. Barbrooke (Wilfred Barbrooke), 1865-1930.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: An unknown people in an unknown land : an account of the life and customs of the Lengua Indians of the Paraguayan Chaco, with adventures and experiences during twenty years' pioneering and exploration amongst them / by W. Barbrooke Grubb. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    reclamation of the earth’s waste places. To-day it is safe for the white man to traverse some two hundred miles in a direct course west of the River Paraguay, over roads cut by the missionaries and other large areas within the Mission sphere; whereas formerly men who had acquired lands within the Chaco scarcely dared even to inspect them, and carefully avoided all footmarks or other signs of Indians. Where formerly ranchers hesitated to stock their land, for fear of Indian raids, thousands of cattle may be found to-day in well-fenced paddocks, tended by Indians who have been trained in the Mission and taught many useful crafts. The Roman Catholic Government of Paraguay has fully recognized the value of the work of this Protestant Mission, and has conferred on the author of this volume the title of “ Pacificator of the Indians.” It has also accepted the missionaries’ geographical notes as the basis of an official map of the region. The reader who is in sympathy with the definite work of Christian Missions will see the practical methods which have been adopted in breaking down old beliefs and witchcraft, and the ways in which medical work and certain branches of educa- tion and training have been steps to the reception of Christianity; but another volume by the same author which is in preparation will describe more fully the actual spiritual development of the Lenguas. Not the least formidable task in the building up of these primitive people has been the study and reduction to writing of their very difficult language, a task so laborious that it was eight years before any systematic work could be undertaken. Mr. R. J. Hunt has been almost entirely responsible for the compiling of a large dictionary and for all the translation work, having devoted fifteen years to the study of the peculiar and comprehensive language of the Lenguas, and to him I am in- debted for the account of it which appears in Appendix III. With these valuable aids to teaching, the spiritual development has been very marked during the last decade. The work has been under the superintendence of the Rev. P. R. Turner in the field and of the two first Bishops of the Falkland Isles as visitors.