The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-07-28
How the Presents are made.

]. Browne gives this amusing, but some
what suggestive, account of the business of
making pres6dts TO the Indians:
Next day, Superintendent Poston and my
| self held grand powow with the Yuma
chiefs and their peopls From all parts
of the neighborhood they came; warriors,
squaws and children; from the mesqun
bushes and mud-holes of the Colorado; from
the sloughs and the arroyas OF the GilR; the
cotton-woods and the deserts and mountains
of Castle Dome. Every village had its dele
CATION of dusky tatterdemalions. Hungry
and lean, painted and bedizened with orna-
ments, they came in to receive the bounty Of
the mighty Federal chief
Great were the rejoicings when we opened
the boxes and bales of merchandise so lib
orally furnished by the Government con-
tractors, Cronin, Huxtall d Sears, of New
York. Red, white, green, and gray blankets;
military suits, glittering with tinsel; old
swords, four feet long sun-glasses, for light
ing cigars; and penny whistles for the small
fry. 1t was, indeed, a wonderful display of
the artistic triumphs of civilization, well cal
culated to impress the savage tribes of the
Pacific with awe and admiration. There
were axes of the best Collins brand, that
flew to pieces like glass against the iron tim
ber OF this anomalous region; and hats
made by steam, and flaming red vests stitched
by magic, and tobacco boxes and tin kettles
that might be opened, but never upon earth
shut again. Surrounded by all the military
paraphernalia of Fort Yuma, and with cere-
mony the most profound and impressive, we
delivered our speeches and dry goods to the
varioas chiefs; we gave them damaged hon.
| iny-and hoes, and spades and shovels, and
sashes and military buttons, charms, amulets,
tobacco-b boxes, and beads; shook them by
the hand collectively and in detail, and pow
owed generally, in the approved style
- 4
Yumas, long known to fame as the longest
of his tribe, predominated over the cereno-
nies. grave, cadaverous, leathery old gen
tleman, with hollow, wrinkled cheeks, and
prodigious nose, through the cartilege of
which, between the nostrils, he wears
white bone ornament with swinging pend
ants, is Pasqual the doughty. A slight ca
tarrh afflicted him at the time of our powow,
and 1t was not without great Inconvenience
that he managed the ornamental part of his
countenance turning repeatedly away to
blow it, or adjust the awkward pendants that
swung from it, and always re-appearing with
tears OF anguish in his eyes. / took pity
upon his sufferings, and gave him some stuff,
assuring him that it was a sovereign remedy
for cold in the head. The result was snch
a series of explosions, eontortions of the
facial muscles, and rattling of the ornamental
bones, as 10 alarm me for the sanity of the
doughty chief, who seemed quite wild with
the accumulation of bis agonies. The as
sembled wisdom of the nation grunted re-
peatedly in token of amazement; and Pas
quail muttered between the paroxysms of his
affiiction: "Ughi muchee pepperl belly
strong dust! Burn 'um Injun nosei"
Tebarro, the next great chief, wrapped
himself in an American blanket, and dyed
his face gloomy black. think he was in
mourning. He wore tar on his head and tar
on his cheeks, and tar on his nose and chin,
which, becoming mingled with the grit and
dust of the Colorado desert, gave him sort
of asphaltum look, like the house-tops and
pavements of Los Angeles. When he stood
in the sun he melted-such was the force of
his grief. Black tears ran down his head
and checks and chin, and mingled with the
wooLof his blanket. Literally, he wept tar.
These distinguished chiefs and their peo-
pie received the presents allotted to them
with great dignity and good humor There
was no grabbing or stealing, nor any sign of
discomfort. Every man received his share
with satisfaction, and with gratitude to the
great father in Washington. When they
shook hands with us for the last time, and
we were about TO part, the scene was really
affecting. In squads, and couples, and one
by one, they affectionately took their leaye,
with their hoes and axes, spades and shovels,
gimcracks and charms, stuck all over them,
in their sashes, breeches, clouties, blankets,
and pinaforcs. One went with necklace Of
of mattocks around his neck, and three Col
lins axes in his girdle; another with his
head thrust into glittering pile OF tinware;
while third, one Of the unbreeched multi
tude, wore frying pan in front by way of
an apron, and a corn-hoe behind, In the usual
fashion of rudder. Old men and young
were tuning their jewsharps; luxurious
squaws were peeping at the redundant beau
ties reflected by their little zinc looking
glasses; children were blowing their tin
whistles and small papooses, bundled be-
hind their mothers, wondering, with open
mouths and great round eyes, what could be
the cause of all the. hubbub. IL was an i'm
pressiye scene of barbarous happiness, not
easily forgotten. And so ended the grand
Powow.