The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-02-22
A Central American Festival.

Before leaving the little settlement
at Tarifa pass, the party had the novel
experience of assisting at festival of
unusual interest Senior Macheo, being
the owner of the summit lands, comes
from Oaxaca, once year to brand the
cattle, and the inhabitants make the
occasion a fete-day. Early in the morn
ing men hunt the cattle in the woods
and drive them into large inclosure.
Then, selecting from the herd the larg-
est bull, the herdsman on a swift horse
dashes after it, and at full speed filings
the lasso, which never fails to coil itself
behind the horns of the animal. The
horse is blindfolded, but is taught to
turn half round as soon as he feels the
lasso thrown from his riders hand. 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 attached to the
horses tail. After the cloud of dust,
caused by the chase, clears away, the
bull is seen madly trying to get loose.
A moment after he is dragged to the
corral. In this way twenty of thirty
herdsmen will soon fill large corral
with animals of all sizes and descrip-
tions. At dark, on the same day,
chants and the Litany of the Virgin
are sung by the people, kneeling around
the large cross, in the square formed by
the few houses at Tarifa.
The same evening, delegation wait
ed on Senior Macheo, the women bear
ing banners and crowns Of flowers, and
after arranging themselves in a semi
circle, their spokesman made a speech.
Crossing himself hurridly, he said in
rather confused style, that he was
convinced that it was his duty to love
God and the Virgin, then his master,
and to say his prayers, but after these
duties were we'll done, nothing made a
man feel better than fandango with
the pretty maidens. Permission was
granted, and man was Immediately
sent to a neighboring town for band
of music. The women then presented
their wild flowers, and placed garlands
on the heads of their master and his
guests, departing Immediately after
ward to dance till morning.
On the next day, delegation of ma
tives, preceded by the band, came with
an invitation to witness the branding.
According to custom, one of their num-
Der was supposed to be prisoner whom
his friends were to liberate. The men
and women stood in semicircle 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 united his legs, and he passed
about an old hat, for aims to defray the
expenses of the journey home which he
was supposed to be about to make. The
procession then formed, Senor Macheo
and the strangers occupying the place
of honor, and all marched to the cor
raj, where platform was erected, COW
cred with palm-leaves, and already
crowded with squaws.
Rockets, torpedos, and the Mexican
national hymn begin the sport. Then
men with bundles of dry grass in hand,
and making a peculiar noise with their
lips, leap inside the inclosure. Two OF
them seize a bull by the horns; third,
by the tail. The red-hot branding-iron
is then handed to a fourth man, who
lifts his hat and gives the first hurrah j:
"Long live my master, the Senior Don
Julian Macheo!" The crowd yells in
reply, "Que Viva!" and Simultaneous
ly the tail is jerked, the horns twisted,
and the bull is down and marked in a
twinkling with the sign here shown.
This is the brand used by Cortez,
who originally owned these 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 a regular Mexican
fandango. Their dances are called Bo-
lero, Torito, and Zandunga, the dancers
singing couplets, which they often i'm
provise.
An Indian invites his partner tc
dance, by putting his hat upon hel
head. If she accepts, she stands up,
and the young man addresses her in
fantastic language. One of these i'm
provised songs may be freely translated
as follows:
"I am the golden fish,
Swimming in the lake of sadness,
The dart of your killing eyes
Has changed my sight to blindness"
The girl replies:
GIVE seen that fish before,
His sudden blindness feigning,
But ali! his end obtaining,
Svims off to come no more"
Scribners, for Fetruarg.