| Show FAR SOOT OF CuLT A Llanisto House Warming Women in Festive Array NOVEL WAY OF GAINING A BRIDE A Feast in Which Nachi Figured A Dish That Will Seer Bo Popular In the United states VALDIVIA Chili Sept 201S91 ISpeoial correspondence of THE SU mAY HEUALT On the second day of our detention in the Llanisto territory the swollen bridgeless streams still keeping us close prisoners we sere honored by an invitation to attend a souse raising on the morrowwhich in Araucania is made the occasion of prolonged pro-longed festivities and many ceremonies We were informed that a grand feast would be the especial feature of each days doings and that every guest was expected to contribute thereto something edible or drinkable What do you suppose was our contribution In this case necessity was the mother of invention and we sacrificed to the emergency our last sack of self raising flour baked into large griddlecakes griddle-cakes These when cold were spread with a thin coating of canned peach jam and piled one above another in huge heaps It kept the cook busy all the rest of the day assisted by the ladies of tho party but the impromptu dish was a pronounced success and we afterwards learned that the Indians looked upon it as the white mans staple article of food Early the next morning the great chief came to escort us in person to the distant clearing where the now dwelling was to oe erected and as a mark of especial condescension conde-scension TWO SQUAWS wore permitted to follow in the rear S o gorgeously was his greasy highness gotten up for the occasion that it may truely be said even Solomon in all his glory was never so arrayed He wore the yellow leggings leg-gings and double crimson bed blanket lately presented to him by our leader with my silver soap case hung around his nock by a blue ribbon where it rattled against a triple necklace of teeth human and animal while his bushy hair in which strips of re d flannel were braided was crowned by a tiara ol brilliant feathers and hung with long strings of birds bones Far in the respectful distance trotted his several wives bearing his beloved pipe guanac robes for nim to sit upon and his choices heritage the timeworn skulls that sere for drinking vessels without which n o east would be complete Arrived at the spot we found most of th o villagers already assembled and every dusky face wore a look of the most perfoc happiness I ever beheld on human countenances counte-nances At ono side where the squaw were mostly collected we noticed several young sheep yet living lying bound among scores of chinapots and bags of green corn and as now guests arrived additions were constantly made to the store Whenever a donation was handed in the following dialogue invariably took place between the donor and those appointed to superintend the feast hI beg you to accept a mere trifle as an offering for this great occasion I How very generous nothing of the kind was expected and you ought not to have brought so much hIt is but a poor trifle not worthy so great a feast but I pray that you will not disdain it Presently some squaws began diggin holes in the ground close by two youn women seized one of the bound sheep stretched it across a log and while ono held it the other turned over its head and ran a knife into the large vein behind its i ear It soon bled to death and all THE BLOOD WAS CAREFULLY SATED for pudding By the way is it not strange that among these Indians the blood of a lamb Is considered an emblem of safety Whenever they go to war a lamb is killed and its blood sprinkled upon tho arms of the warriors as a sign that vengeance I shall not overtake them When they make I a treaty of peace the slain lamb is again brought into requisition Each of the covenanting I cov-enanting parties drinks a little of tho blood and eats a bit of the raw flesh to prove that what has been sealed by tho blood of innocence cannot be broken Tho mens part of the days labor consisted entirely en-tirely In eating drinking and giving orders When the squaws had dug the holes and sprinkled in each a few drops of the sheeps blood chicha pots were circulated circu-lated and all drank freely An hour afterwards after-wards chicha aa libitum in the interval somoposts tall enough to form the four corners of the house were planted by the women in the holes After another hour or more of homebrewed chicha and cheerful conversation crosspieces cross-pieces were firmly bound to the posts with thongs of rawhide and the raising for that day was completed The interpreter inter-preter told us that it would require not less than a week to finish the house The next day they would weavo in the small poles for the walls On another day put up the rafters and so on nursing the job j as long as possible because time being > made for slaves is no object to those independent I in-dependent Araucanians We witnessed only one day of it as on the following morning we started anew for Valdivia but that brief glimpse was sufficient Promptly at high noon the squaws announced an-nounced that the banquet was ready The green sward served for a festive board and the men seated themselves contentedly upon it in a wide circle under the shadow of the trees while the women who were not engaged in waiting upon them remained re-mained fasting dutifully willing to partake par-take hours later of whatever CRUMBS ASD BITES THAT TIIEIn LORDS MIGHT LEAVE for the dogs and them First some raw clams were brought in huge wooden troughs and on the top of each trough was placed one big red pepper Every Indian in turn took two or three clams and the the pepper was passed from lip to lip each I < 1 CJ < pz one sucking it and handing it on to his neighbor This preliminary ceremony we were told was in token of lasting friend sbipand very warm such lovomust be judging from the tears that sprang from very eye When the clams had been devoured oured the chicha jars circulated freely passed from mouth to mouth in the most confidential manner Then came kettles of cooked corn steaming hot then more chicha Then quantities of raw mutton cutin small chunks and piled on wooden trays Then ears of roasted corn and Isst but by no means least our own contribution contribu-tion of cold jambesmeared pancakes I yhose sticky sweetness so pleased the I chief that he at once opened negotiations ith our leader with a view to purchasing a few white squaws who could make them Between every course chicha flowed freely The braves gobbled raw sheep and corn till full to bursting and after a shortest short-est they returned to the charge and ate and drank and drank and ate again and again till nature could endure no mure and all sank into a heavy sleep This was the I I hungry squaws opportunity and so well they improved it that the remaining store of provisions which in the morning wo had thought sufficient to last the whole com inanity a week disappeared like dew be fore the sun About sunset most of the younger men haYing overcome their gluttonous stupor bestirred themselves for a game of bail The ball was made of strips of rawhide covered with many pieces of woolen cloth 50 that its force might not injure the moc asined foot There appeared to be no rules emulating the game its whole purpose being to see how often and how far each warrior could kick the ball They laughed and yelled and jostled one another in the goodnatured scramble like a lot of noisy school boys The moon being at the full it was determined to keep up the fun till midnight But first supper must bo had and the delightful news soon spread that as an extra treat a dish of nachi would bo served I WHAT UNDER THE MOON WAS XACHll Even the half Indian interpreter could not tell us so we resolved to wait and see It vas not the first time that we have had cause to regret the curiosity that has led women into unpleasant situations from the days of greatgrandmother Eve down to her latest descendants Nachi it seems is the greatest luxury ot which the Llan into mind can conceive and this is the receipt re-ceipt for its preparation Take a living ullgrown fat sheep and hang it up by the fore feet instead of by the hind feet as usual Then carefully cut a hole in the windpipe and stuff down it several hand fulls ot salt and pepper mixed together This accomplished despite the poor animals ani-mals struggles sever tho jugular and pull i it out sufficiently to turn the mouth of the vein into the windpipe down which the blood flows carrying the pepper and salt into tho lungs The writhing tortured creature is soon surprisingly swollen up and dies in inexpressible agony When tho body is opened the lungs are found horribly hor-ribly distended with blood peeper and salt the whole forming one coagulated mass This is nachiand may heaven preserve pre-serve us from seeing it again It is care fully extracted from the yet quivering animal cut in slices and served up warm The blood pudding before mentioned men-tioned which is a daily article of Araucaman diet is merely the uncooked 1 blook of any animal coagulated by the ad dition of salt to the consistency of custard Whenever a sheep is killed by the ordinary process while one oman catches the blood in a wooden bowl another stands by to receive re-ceive tho entrails which aro stewed like tripe and much appreciated After the skin has been stripped off the carcass is divided along the spine from tail to head and is i usually roasted one half at a time over a blazing fire spitted upon a sharp stick In the soft light of the moon the village beaux engaged in their FAVORITB GAME OF PELICAN while the girls stood watching them in i silent admiration During the afternoon a number of boys had been busily engaged in planting j twigs short distances apart until an alley was formed rerhaps forty feet wide by 300 feet long When ready for the I fray half the young men retired to the woods After a little time those that remained re-mained behind set up a fearful tooting on instruments made by the insertion of a cows horn into a hollow cane and answering an-swering notes came back from the rival band secreted in the forest This was the challenge and reply to a trial of skill and presently the enemy came dash ing through the forest with deafening shouts The Araucanlan game of pelican differs little from the sport so common in England known to school boys as hocky or shinty It is played with a small wooden ball propelled along the ground by sticks curved at the lower end The opposing sides have their bases at the two extremes of the alley the ball is placed in a hole half way between the bases andover and-over it two boys are stationed one from each party while the other players are scattered along the alloy each armed with a stick WHon all is ready the two in the middle strike their sticks together in the air and commence a roughandtumble fight for the ball each striving to knock it toward the others party The object of everyone is to drive the ball through his opponents base or in defense of his own to knock it sideways along the bordering line of twigs In the latter case the trial is put down as drawn and recommences recom-mences Each game is duly notched on a stick and the party first tallying a certain number gains the victory vic-tory In this instance some fifty players were engaged who prepared for battle by stripping themselves to a poncho about the loins There was much shouting and scuf fling many a hard tumble and occasional cracked shin but the greatest goodwill reigned tfiroughout Meanwhile the older and more dignified warriors engaged in THE GAME OF AVAS This appears to be somewhat like dice and is played with eight beans marked on one side and ton small sticks used as tallies l tal-lies A blanket is spread upon the ground > upon which the players sit facing one another an-other ternately they take up the beans shake them in the hand and throw them on tho blanket the spots turned up are counted and the one wins who first reaches a certain number The players seem to believe with Pythagoras that beans have souls for they kiss them talk to them rub them on their breasts Ali the time shouting at the top of their lungs imploring good luck for themselves and evil for A fit their opponents The air resounded with a discord of wild voices while knives blankets wives and ponies were staked and rapidly changed owners Like other uncivilized people the Araucanians aro excessively fond of gambling and habitu ally indulge in it They have a game of chance which is played with a four sidod teetotum an expert in several games of skill one of which is said to resemble chess Many an Indian has staked his all upon the turn of a bean and returned to the bosom of his family with little more covering than that furnished by nature The fato of prisoners of War has frequently depended upon the caprice of a teetotum I and when disputes have arisen among the wise men grave questions of state have often been decided by the game of pelican But we must not overlook THE LADIES OF ARACCANIA especially on such au occasion when decked infestive gaud and gear Most of them have good figures and agreeable faces with luxuriant black hair pearly teeth small feet inclined to toe inward and really beautiful arms but their diet of raw meat and corn renders them gross at an early age and at thirty they are flabby old crones No belie of civilization is more addicted to facepaintin than they but here white powders are not in vogue the colors used being blade and red Tvo species of earth supply these cosmetics which are mixed with grease to prevent them from being easily washed off The red is put on in a broad belt from ear to ear over the cheeks eyelids and nose The black is used to give effect to the eyebrows which are pulled out so as to leave only a fine line while the lids and lashes are tipped tip-ped in the same manner that henna is used by women of the east This established estab-lished fashion is rigidly observed but individual fancy sometimes varies it a little as for example by two black tears running down the cheeKs and black scallops scal-lops outlining the rod band across tho face The glossy hair iq divided into two long braids wound around with strings of bright beads counecten at the ends by another an-other string of brass thimbles or tiny bells Ordinarilly the beadbedecked braids are twisted around the head like two snakes the ends falling down over the face or sticking out in front like horns but on great occasions such as a houseraising a headdress largo as a hand towel cam posed entirely of beads oi various colors wrought into figures is arranged to tallow low l over the forehead and hang down behind be-hind over the back and shoulders The bottom is fringed with a row of brass thimbles or bells and it is really an effective effec-tive article of dress The neck is incased in a regular dog collar made of leather studded with silver Tho bosom is covered with a great profusion pro-fusion of beads in all the colors of the rainbow supplemented with as many thimbles bells and silver coins aa the wealth of the wearer will allow All the t women wear bracelets and anklets of beads and hollow bones and the chiefs and wise men as a distinction of rank sport anklets t of bright hued woolen threads twisted together to-gether A WOMANS DRESS consists of two blankets not unlike the ponchos of the men One of them is wrapped around the body falling to the knees and is pinned up over the shoulders leaving the arms free while a broad leather belt with silver buckles confines it at the waist The other blanket is thrown over the shoulders like a cl ak fastened in front with a silver pin the head of which is often the size and shape of a tea plte These garments are mostly of home manufacture dyed black or dark blue but are sometimes made of European red flannel With the addition of massive silver eardrops dang ling to tho shoulders and dabs of red paint on tho lips the picture is complete While a girl of Araucania is not put up for sale like an Oriental houri she is none the Ban B-an article of merchandise to be paid for by him who would possess her and has no more voice in the choice of a husband When A YOUNG MAN MAKES UP HIS MIND TO MARRY he goes first to his friend for assistance in tho carrying out of the object If fiefs poor each of his friends according to his means agrees to contribute towardsthe expenses one giving a fat ox another a horse the third a pair of silver stirrups and so on A dark night is selected and a rendezvous named At the appointed hour the lover and his friends all well mounted congregate congre-gate as agreed and in silence they cautiously cau-tiously approach the residence of the bride Half a dozen of the best orators enter and wake up the girls father to whom they explain ex-plain the object of the visit set forth the merits of his wouldbe soninlaw and formally ask his consent to the match which is usually granted with readiness if the offered price be large enough Meanwhile Mean-while the enamored swain has been searching search-ing out the resting place of his Dulclnaa and she however willing screams loud for protection as in duty bound Then a tremendous tre-mendous row ensues The women rise up en masse arm themselves with clubs stones and missies of every kind and rush to the maidens defence The friends interpose to give the lover fair play endeavoring wits soothing and gentle violence to disarm dis-arm the fierce viragos but the latter are not to be appeased and happy is the man who escapes without some bleeding mo mento of the fight It is a point of honor with the bride to resist re-sist with all her might until at length the impatient brido grqpm grabs her by the heels or hair and drags her along the ground to the opendoor Then he springs to the saddle still firmly grasping his screaming captive and yelling in triumph starts off at full gallop The friends sally forth still pursued by the outraged matrons ma-trons and follow fast in the track of the fugitives Having gained the woods the lover dashes into the tangled thickets while the friends considerately pause on the outskirts until they are satisfied no one is in pursuit When they quietly disperse NO FURTHER MARRIAGE CEREMONY is required and a few days afterwards the happy couple emerge from the depths of the forest husband and as wire Two or three days more are allowed to pass and then the friends call upon the bridegroom each bringing his promised contribution Driving the sheep and cattle before them and carrying the skins bags of corn etc the whole party repair to the former residence resi-dence of the bride There the presents are handed over to the father Is satisfied that he has received his daughters value mani fests extreme pleasure In the marriage and mutual congratulations are in order The various amounts contributed by the friends towayd paying for a wife are con b 4 JIJLv l sidered debts of honor to be fully repaid whenever tho benefactors themselves require re-quire similar assistance Unfaithfulness on the part of the wire is always punished with death but her guilty lover is lot off by pavinc her full value to the injured husband hus-band Marriage is not indissoluble but if u i wile is unhappy she may be sent back to her fathers house but if she marries again the second husband must pay to the first the price originally cost FANNIE B WARD |
