Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-02-19
A Central American Festival. {,

a Central American : estlVals ~
Before leaving the little settlement
at Tariia pass, the party bad the
novel experience Of assisting at fes
,ival of unusual interest. Senor Ma.
cheo, being the owner Of the summit
lands, comes from Oaxaca once q
year TO brand the cattle, and tho in,
habitants make tho occasion q fete-
day. Early in tho morning men hunt
the cattle 10 the woods and drive
them into . large inolosure. Then,
selecting from tho herd the largest
bull, the hcrdsman on o swift horse
dashes after it, and at full speed filings
the lasso, which never fails to coil
itself about the horns Of the animal.
The horse is blindfold, but is taught
to turn half round as soon rs he feels
the lasso thrown from his riders
band. He then stiffens his hind legs,
puts out his neck and gets ready for
The jerk, which throws the bull to the
ground, for one end Of the lasso is at
tached TO tho horses tail. After the
cloud Of dust, caused by the chase,
clears away, tho bull is seen madly
trying to get loose. a moment after
and he is dragged to the corral. In
this way twenty or thirty herdsmen
will soon fll large corral with ami
mals Of oil sizes and descriptions. At
dark, on the same day, chants and the
Litany Of the Virgin are sung by the
people, kneeing around the large
cross, in the square formed by the few
houses at Tarifa.
The same evening, delegation
waited on Senor Macheo, the women
bearing banners and crowns of flow
srs, and after arranging themselves in
. semi,circle, their spokesman made
hspeech. Crossing himselfhurriedly,
he said in rather a confused style,
that he was convinced that II was bis
duty to love God and the Virgin, then
his master, and to say his prayers,
but after these duties were well done,
nothing made man feel better than
Il fapdango with the pretty maidcns.
Permission was granted, and man
was Immediately sent to q neighbor-
iDg town for q band Of music. The
women then presented their wild
flowers, and placed garlands on the
head of their master and his guests,
departing Immediately afterwards TO
dance till morning,
On the next day delegation of ma
lives, preceded by the band, came
with an invitation to witness the
branding According TO custom, one
Of their number wse supposed to be
prisoner whom his friends were TO
iiberato. The men and women stood
in a semi-circlo before the hut, The
spokesman then brought forward the
handsomest man Of their number, an
athlete, entirely naked, his body
painted blue and red to initiate wounds,
while his limbs were bound with cords.
After exhibiting him, his friends un-
tied his legs, and he passed about an
old hat for aims to doIray the expen-
ses ofthe journey home which he was
supposed to be about to make, The
procession then formed, Senor Maeheo
and tho strangors occupying the place
of honor, and all marched to the cor
ral, where o platform was erected,
covered with palm leaves, and already
crowded with squaws.
Rockets, torpedos and the Mexican
national hymn began the sport. Then
men with bundles Of dry grass in
hand, and makinga peculiar noise with
their lips, leap inside the enclosure.
Two of Them seize bull by the horns
third, by tho tail. The red-hot
branding iron is then handed 10 a
fourth man, who lifts his hat and
gives the first hurrah: "Long live my
master, the Senior Don Julian Macheo q
The crowd yells in reply, "Que Viva y
and simultaneously tho tail is jerked,
the horns twisted, and the bull is
down and marked in twinkling with
the sign here shown. This is the
brand mark used BY Cortcs, who origi.
nally owned those lands.
The next animal is branded, and
some other person is cheered, and so
on to The end Of the chapter. In the
evening, there is regular Mexican
fandango. Their dances are called
Bolero, Torito, and Zandunga, the
dancers singing couplets, Which they
often improvise. ..a5
An Indian invites his partner 10
dance, by putting his hat upon her
head. If she accepts, she STANDS up
and tho young man addresses her 10
fantastic language. One Of these i'm.
provised songs may be freely trans.
lated as follows: :5aoI asq s.
az am the golden fsh
Ewimniug in the lake OF ssdnc.,
The dart Of your killingsoyes
Has changed my sight TO blinduon.'
The girl replies, zoe 3 BVIENAE
Mlrn aonn lhnt l.h LafnrA