The Hawaiian gazette., 1872-10-09
The zuni villages.
tFrOm the ssuoellta Hsrald.I

Colorado, on the great trail from Fort Mohaye
j on the Colorado, to Albuquerque, on the Rio
Grande, and over days journey from the north
ern extremity Of the Great Diamond Range
now attracting attention, there are rains Of AzteC
! settlements, and three villages inhabited BY In
dams. They are called Zuni villages. Each
; contains probably two thousand people. An in
telligent officer who has been among them. thus
describes them:
They are race differing essentially from the
Indian tribes around them. The Narsjos are
their neighbors on the Northwest, the Apaches
on the South. Their physiognomy and their
stately bearing, as well as their pride of dress,
show them TO belong to a race Of Indians far
superior TO the surrounding tribes. The Zuni
women are comely. They are remarkable for the
modest fulluess of their dress. They wear skirts
Of black wooden cloth, and scarf gracefully folded
over the breast. These goods are Of their own
make Their hair neatly braided, forms head
dress. Their houses are clean, and their cooking
is not to be despised.
The Zanl Indians are more than semiciviized.
They are essentially pastoral people They till
the ground They have fields Of corn, wheat, and
vegetables. They have flocks Of sheep and goats
They raise horses, horned cattle aud uses. They
corral their stock at night in high stone Enclosures
They use ell their animals for food, but fatted
ass is their fayonte dish. They keep fowls They
spin their own wool and weave it. They have
grand frolic at threshing time. The grain in
sheaf is taken TO broad, fat, rocky place, and
thirty or forty horsemen canter and caper about
on this threshing floor till the grain is well sep
srated. 1t is then winnowed by rakiDg the straw
and tossing the chat in the wind. After this,
they close the day with general hOrse-race, after
the fashion Of our Agricultural Fairs.
As our diamond hunters are about to people
the neighboring country, it is interesting to know
that these Zuni Indians are friendly to white
men, and that supplies can be had there. The
Valley of the Rio Grande is also well settled with
Mexican farmers and herdsmen. These and the
Zunis will make common cause with the miners
against the plundering Apaches.
The Zuni Indians never make wars Of agrees
sion. They stand on the defensive. But outside
Indians fear them because Of their superior or.
gaDizaiion and means Of defense. Therefore,
their quietude is seldom disturbed.
Their well watered soil is a dark. gravelly loan.
They have at all times excellent pasture 10 the
use OF which travellers entering the diamond
region by way Of Santa Fe and Albuquerque. are
made welcome on payment of moderate charge.
The houses of these Zuni villages are well built
Of stone, three stories high; each ascending
story recedes, so as TO make terrace 10 front.
These Zuni Indians are truly devout. Their
interior temples and affairs their priesthood and
ceremonials bear relationship not remote from
ours. Traces of missionary influence are evident,
but the leading faith of the Aztec religion has
not been changed. 1t is an error to say they
worship the sun. They worship the Great Spirit
who resides in that fitting centre of light and life
and purity, to which are visibly traceable all
earthly blessings, and beyond which even imagina-
ton finds no tracings.
To this earth and its brother worlds, the Great
Spirit is an Allseeing Eye, omniscient and omni-
present; and though our sight penetrates the
Universe and scans tens Of millions of star-suns.
NV
US in so intimate aud so Alternative and omnipo- +!
tent relationship as the Sun which is Father to /
US alone, and our system knows none other. nor
needs to look beyond. We have dogmas less
sensible than this revelation of reason TO these /
primitive worshippers of the Most High.
This visible presence promotes devotion un-
known to prayer book worship. Nothing is more
touching than the PROSTATE reverence they pay
to the Great Spirit at rise an set of sun. There
IS living earnestness in it, to us utterly unknown
and uncomfortable.
They claim descent from the subjects of Mon
-ezuma. 1t will be remembered that The court and
he temples of the city of Mexico we're found by
Cortez, rich 10 gold and precious stones. The
sources of the gold are known, but where they
rot the precious stones has been mystery. 1t
eems probable that the ancestors of the present
uni Indians were employed by the Government
n gathering the jewels which we're so profuse in
Mexico, and on the downfall of Montezuma, some
emained
There is such tradition among them. In
be history Of Cortez's conquest, we are told that
here was a prophecy in their sacred records that
ale faces would invade and conquer them The
,unS have tradition resembling it. They quote
with some variation. viz. that pale-faced
nan. with a white, flowing beard, would come
rom the East, and restore them to a kingdom of
efnement and happiness. The tradition init
mates that the pale faces will come, not to take
heir lands, but to gather stones and minerals
nd that the Great Spirit will lead them by this
that they may come and learn to know
he true Deity, and where is the new Home in
he brightness of which they are to dwell with
lin, after their pilgrimage on earth. They are
ot very communicative about precious stones
ut they intimate that the country of rubies and
arnets is not far off that of diamonds is further
Bat the range is very extensive and runs into
Ihiahuha.
The EARTAHQUAKE AT ANTIocH.-A letter
rom Beyrout gives some statistics of the earth
make at Antioch in April last. Before the