, 1873-05-09

anu found myself IN an ordinary honse plastera1
with mud and entirely without furniture. M.
t1clng another open door to the left I entere5
there, and was glad to have done 80, for it va
one OF the rooms pertaining to the psuttgntna
It was q room about twenty feet long. twoIra
feet wide seven feet high, neatly plastered and
whiteWashed, the floor Of saud.and the room dea-
titute Of furniture, save that in the further co-
uer was q sort Of altar made from tabla and
covered with black shawl Two other shRTls.
ono black, one black, one parti-colored, hung on
the walls, one behind, the other to the right Of
the altar, on which we're placed several ima2es.
One Of the Crucii1ion and one Of tho Virgin and
child especially attracted my attention; the Int
ter from its grotesque resemblance IN express
sion, attitude and apparel Csven to the scarf over
the headD to Mexican woman and child; the
former because being spattered with blood all
t over, it looks 80 horrible and CHASTITY. Two
women knelt before these objects, absorbed in
| prayer.
l. Twas about to leave, when noticed the pecu-
| 1!er appearance OF the walls, aud asked a man
! who had just come in the cause Of it. Ho said
it WAS Sungue de los Penientes (blood Of the PEN
itentes.) And so it really was. It was impossi-
BILE to place the tip Of tho finger on either wallis
or ceiling without touching one of those crimson
| splashes, thrown there from the whips with
which they dagel1ate themselves. NY obserya-
| tions made, hurried ont, and drove 10 the
| ing that the second act Was about to commeuca.
arrived barely in time to witness the egress
from the house OF the actors. First, Is before
came ffer, priest, and image-bearer; following
them three penitentas, each one armed with s
| whip.
And here let me tell you what kind Of whip
| they uao. It is made Of the leaves Of 4 .plauf
which grows all over this country in great mo-
fusion, and is commonly known as " "soapweed,"
it's root being pounded and used BY the natives
Spanish bayone3, and it is, I believe, kind ol
lily. It has bu1bous root, aud hairy leaves
fully two feet in length, with edges and points
that cut like knives. These leaves aro hardened
by fire, and are then plaited into thongs, about
eight inches OF the end being allowed to hnng
freely. a large number Of thongs arc bound to
stock go as to resemble in form fan. and the
whip is complete, makinga scourge that imag-
inc Is almost if not fully, AS soTere as the dread
With the first step eaeh penitente raised his
whip with both hands and struck across his LETT
shoulder with all his strength On hia own naked
back, almost pausing until he had Withdrawn it,
when with the next step he struck himself in tho
same msnner ACROSS the right shoulder: And
they proceeded, with every step blow,-right,
loft, right, left, with . regularity and monotony
that WIS positively alckening.
They had not proceeded ten steps on their
way before the whips we're tinged with red, and
before they had gone fifty these Instruments
dripping from every thong and running down
from the lacerated and quiyering backs, CRIMSON
ing again the scanty pieces OF cloth, which WAS
each mans only covering, and, running down to
bis fset, thence absorbed By the thirsty earth
This seemed to me- evidence Of suffering sufh-
ciently grest to atone for any degree Of crime,
but it war not enough for the penitentea.
In place Of following the same road ss their
pIedeceaaors, they slowly turned to the left, and
climbed the hill at a point where the cactua
WAS impossible for them to step and not be
pierced by them. You will hardly believe that
across such aroad, aad enduring such tortnres,
thoae men walked q distance OF three miles
whipped themselves during the entire time, aud
yet think they did. At any rate, going aud re-
turning, saw them inflict On themselves pun
islment which would have killed most white
mon. :. -, - <.-~-
The second act w.s not concluded when the
party had left one OF the attendants came out,
and, going to tho crosses selected the lightese,
and returned with it to the house. I wanted to
know what would be done next. One man
and s'stick him np." Another said that
they would bind enc to the cross and drag him
ao far as the croes had before been carried. But
the question Was set at rest In five minutes.
Another ffer, priest. and man carrying what tho
Americans present irrererently called - The lit
tie Jesus, made their appearance, and following
them with much difficulty, solitary- penitente
who had both arms extended, aud tightly bound
to the upright portion Of the cross, which was
laid lengthwise across his shoulders, the two
ends projecting beyond the hands.
Standing fev PAGES from the door he waited
until followed by two more, each ono Of whom
carried one of thoee terrible whips. Placing
themselves behind him, each one strikes him be-
ward-they strike him again. And SO he goes
til they strike fairly and then taking
his next step in advance. Not more
than tenth part OF his Journeyis accomplished
when he stops reels; ana ,: seems about to 1an.
ted, every blow is laid on with cruel energy, but
at q whisper and sign from the presiding fend
the two executioners aim their blows an inch or
tHo lower. Every time the victim flags they
on which to operate until the entire back and
aides arc cut and torn and bruised alike, and tho
flesh hangs in shreds and patches, while cross,
victims, and execuhonera are equally bespat-
tered and coverad with blood: I am compelled
to turn away so sickened and mortified thst I can
infant.
You may think this e1aggera.ea. It 10 not.
The horrible truth cannot. be- Il figures will
encble you to better comprehend tho euormity Of
this last piece Of intamy, here7hey are. timed
the operation myself:
It took that poor wretch to walk to the farth-
est Cross and return pracisely one hour aul forty
minutes, during the whole OF which time he Tas
receiving at the rate OF ffty-four blows Per
minute ). SO that he had to endure no less than
five Thousand four hundred stripes
As it WAS nearly sunset when this last exhlbl-
tion was concluded, and as was moreover really
sick, I left and returned to town. OF the whole
thing nothing surprised ne more than the non
chalance with which q wagou-load Of Mexican
/" ladies'" who were aInong the spectators,
looked on the entire spectacle.
-. have given you above the programme for ono
day (at least o portion Of it, for, as said, tho
exercises we're kept up until midnight), but
have mentioned only a few OF the many modcs
Of torture in use among these people As, for
on the previous day CIhuraday) ono
man trod his thorny path bearing on his ahoul-
ders load ofpricky pears go tied that the gpinas
were continually penetrating and lacerating him.
Another bound hand and foot, was compelled to
perform the first half the journey On his knees,
being unable to move but two OF three inches at
q time. Returning he was unbound sufficiently
to enable him to rise to his feet and step ahouts
foot: The rope was then tied to his Waiat,.. to
which was attached four others, the ends OF
which were held by az many men. One OF them
was placed in front, one behind, and one on each
side OF the penitenta, who then began his return
trip. .--He had walked nearly to the end OF bis
tetler, when tho man behind jerked him sharply;