The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-08
A Strange People.

The following is the extract referred
to in our Boston letter, from an unpub-
lished work entitled ''Travels in AT
rica:n
Passing up the river Zanfreta, through
very dreary and desolate country, we
came to n settlement which presented
some of the most singular peculiarities
we have ever met.
We spent some months in studying
their habits and customs.
There were some quite intelligent peo-
pie among them, but most of them were
very Ignorant and strongly attached to
their customs, some of which seemed
exceedingly ludicrous. One of the most
singular, though almost universal hab-
its, was that of putting strong yokes on
two persons of the opposite sex which
they were compelled to wear until one
of them died.
Some of these yOkes were quite costly,
being made Of precious metal and inlaid
with jewels. 1t seemed to be the effort
of the parents, especially the mothers,
to have their children yOked very early
in life-the boys at about ten years Of
age and the girls at about six or seven.
We could not discover that there was
any particular care taken as to their
| fitness for such unions, either in size
physically or in mental temperament.
/ By strange infatuatiOn they were in
| duced to go to certain duly qualified
officials who were prepared to rivet these
/ yOkes, and secure them so firmly that
they could never come of.
We have said they were sometimes
quite beautiful, but the main point
seemed to be to make them strong and
enduring. 1t was considered a great
calamity if one should happen to be
broken, no matter how CALLING it might
have been to both parties, and they
were ever afterward disgraced and
driven from respectable society.
If it were not for the suffering which
these people endure, it would have been
a source of amusement to see them.
| Sometimes you would see a tall and
graceful lad, with 4 fine form, bending
over in the most awkward and uncom-
Portable manner to reach down to be
yoked to a short girl, who, in turn, was
Obliged to strain and reach up in order
to get the yoke upon her neck. 1t was
more common, however, for large and
fine looking women, with noble powers,
to be yoked to some little pigmy of a
man. Even where they were nearly of
a size and seemed adapted to each other,
it was very seldom that their growth
did not take one away from the other.
We scarcely found an instance of per-
sons forty years of age in which the
movement of the parties yOked together
was not antagOnistic, so as to make
them very uncomfortable.
We discovered that these people were
almost all suffering from this custom
which was said to have been introduced
by their gods in ancient days, and the
custom was to invoke the blessing OF
the gods whenever a yoke was put on
and much more Importance was at
tached to this invocation than to tht
fact that the parties were adapted tC
each other.
We saw persons who wore their yOkes
in such a manner that they could turT
their backs to each other, and then the
strongest one would walk off with the
other, often dragging them in very un
comfortable manner, especially if there
was any resistance on the part of th'
weaker one. There was no provision
made by which these yOkes could be re
moved, it being considered to be grea
: crime to do this. We were informed
r however, that some of the higher classe
had a secret means by which they coulC
unlock these yOkes; sometimes knoWI
to both, but generally only to the man
: In the latter case he would detach him
y self and enjoy for time his freedom.
We We're informed that there was
country not very far distant where thes
e people could 90 and have their yoke
It taken of, but so great was the prejudic
). that very few persons had moral cour
= age enough to so, and We never hear
y of any one returning, as they would nc
. be received in the community at home
9 Strange as it may seem, while this Gu:
h tom was almost universally complaiRe
: of, IL was almost worth a persons Iii
. to say anything against this aneier
: and sacred rite; even the suggestio
! that there could be any improvement
A upon it rendered the person liable
bitter persecution.
II We spoke to some of the more intelli
n gent persons about il, and while the
: admitted the evils resulting from i
N they were unwilling to try any plan
remedy it. The idea of individual FIRE,
= dom and responsibility did not seem
II have entered their minds. They wei
n positively assured that freedom, or any
q thing short of an absolute yoke, woul
demOralize society and lead to the mo-
= disastrous results.
g The constant suspicion that prevaile
V among these people, even with tho.
q that were yOked together and wei
:, obliged to be iii each others compan
II all the time, made social life very und'
o sirable. ARISTOTLE.
e There is no friend to man so true, (
IL. - 4