Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-11-30


forcement of this rule ever brought
before the notice of the writer. In
that case the victim was Mexican
and the shooting of the Indian by him
was most evident accident. ~
The theology of the Pima is as un-
certain and as all-pervading as the
British Constitution. He has no reg
ular system of worship existing in the
abstract, but his theological ideas are
to be discovered blended with all the
acts of his life. Every custom is
religious obligation, no matter
whether it is rule of trade or rule OF
war. When the successful warrior has
slain his adversary for the Apache,
he fasts for two days from food and
water, nor is he permitted to speak to
any member of the tribe or to any one
else during this time, nor to join in
the festivities that are instituted in
recognition of the victory. This is a
custom which is not traceable to any
origin either ostensible or genuine
having not even the poor foundation
of tradition to give 1t support. But 1T
is, notwithstanding, a religious OBJ
servance any violation OF which would
entail untold spiritual horrors on the
head of him that should prove recreant
to the sacred rite. The theology of the
Pima is, in short, embodied in the
superstitions that attach to his every
day life; for unlike many savage tribes
there exists here no set form of wor-
ship-no exhortation. The war dance
and the peace dance, as well as the
grand jubilee which takes place at the
gathering in of the harvest have been
so construed by some observers, but
the better opinion is that these various
| celebrations are but manifestations of
the exuberance Of spirit consequent to
the declaration of war, the conclusion
of peace and the garnering of the fruits
| Of their lands. The war dance and
the peace dance are the same through
out all the tribes Of Arizona, but the
jubilee is an observance peculiar to the
Pima tribe alone. In the peace dance
| the braves, to the number Of twenty
or thirty, stand in row, side by side,
facing the squaws who occupy a posi-
ton precisely similar. The music
strikes up, whereupon the partners,
or OppOsites, rush to meet, join hands,
form couples and fall into line-one
couple Immediately behind the other.
The squaw may be to the ght or to
the left of her partner as they may
happen to be placed in the general
selection Of couples. The dance then
proceeds. The squaw throws herself
into very ungraceful attitude, hump
ing her shoulders and forming
throughout a very unsymmetrical
curve. The brave stands erect with
head thrown backward, and super
abundant self-esteem otherwise speak
ing in every motion. The whole
colnmn now runs ten or twenty PAGES
forward and as many backward, eight
or ten times; they then face about,
and repeat until the dancers are ex-
hausted and retire. Another set of
dancers Immediately takes the place
of this one, and so the dance is con-
Quoted until the return of day sug-
gests breakfast and repose.
This (the peace dance) is likewise
the dance of the Pima jubilee, differ
ing only in duration from the former.
1t usually lasts from ten days to two
weeks, whereas the ordinary peace
dance is matter of a single night.
The war dance is manifestation of
savage fervor which can be but tame
ly portrayed by the pen. In this the
women are not permitted to take any
part. The braves are generally set
apart in proportion to their stature,
each being matched as nearly as pos
sible with his counterpart in vigOr.
Stripped of all their clothing with the
exception of the usual covering about
the loins, they enter the enclosure
formed by the spectators, armed with
all the paraphanalia of war. Each, at
a given signal, draws an arrow from
his culver, and holding it between the
fingers of his right hand, pOises it in
horizontal position above his head.
A yell goes up from the circle and the
dance commences. They rush to-
gether to an apparently hostile en-
counter. The arrows clash and rattle
while the dancers dodge and thrust
and yell, and after few seconds each
with single bound reaches the spot
which the other occupied at the open
ing of the encounter and then stands
at rest to renew the attack ut til pro
per time. This scene is repeated until
one succeeds in bring the feathered
end of the arrow in contact with a GER
tain spot on the breast of the other.
This feat is no sooner accomplished
than yell from the spectators pro-
claims the fact, and the dancers retire,
to be succeeded by others. These
dances, or more properly con.
tests; are often very prOtracted, and
quite amusing when one has become
thoroughly convinced that the com.
batants are not engaged in mortal
struggle-and it will take some time
to convince the unaccustOmed observer
that it is but effect, so terribly earnest
do the actions appear and SO hideous
all their grimaces.
The music to these several dances
is, in point Of production, the same
but varied in tone according to the
nature of the occasion. 1t is almost
exclusively vocal, there being only
one instrument. This instrument is o
drum made by fixing cow-hidt
head to an earthen vessel called an
ola. The hide is soaked in water anC
while wet is fastened over the mouth
Of the vessel, in which position 1t II
drawn very tightly by the process OF
: drying. When dry it is ready for use
The vocal part Of the music is gut
teral chant less like the sound O
human voices than the commingleC
howlings Of wild beasts. 1t is o recita
of the deeds performed by the braves
in their several battles, or of theil
mastery skill in the chase, "set tt
music" which, while it serves to mari
the time for the dancers serves also tt
influence the pride and awaken thu
Tr,ux <%fk awrsa hpIo