The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-08-12

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generations. These never intermarry
with their darker neigEbors, between
whom and themselves there exists a
mutual dislike.
The usual dress Of the men consists
| of a cotton tunic, and loose trowsers of
the same material, reaching half f-way be-
low the knee, the tunic being often
gathered by leathern belt or a gayly
colored woolen sash, in the manufacture
| of which the Aoquis excel. Over all is
worn III cold weather Navajo blanket
of brilliant hues and waterproof, vary
| ing in value from five dollars to five
horses. We have seen several made by
the NaYajos for officers and traders yalu-
ed at one hundred and fifty dollars coin
each. This finer work in colors seems
not to be understood by the Zunis, or
they perhaps find it more profitable to
| exchange their wool for the blankets,
devoting themselves to their farms and
herds. The women wear always an out
er garment of wool falling from the
| shoulders nearly to the ankle, and gath
cred at the waist by a broad wooden sash
of bright colors, the fringed or tasseled
ends Of which hang nearly to the feet.
Knitted woolen leggings and high buck
skin moccasins complete, the dress Of
the lower limbs, while their beautiful
arms are uncovered, or concealed at
pleasure within the ample folds Of
their dress or blankets, the latter being
worn with grace almost classical. The
heavy black hair of both sexes is cut
OF, as our ladies' have it, Gangcd-over
the forehead, sometimes restrained by
cotton band aronnd the head, and often
| with the maidens dressed in puffs at the
side and top of the head, in a manner to
heighten their resemblance to the
Chinese.
Their fiocks are numerous, and con-
stitute there chief wealth. One of the
caziques gave his daughter two thousand
our visit. Their farms extend down the
Zuni Valley several miles; IN additionto
which they cultivate other valleys with
i'll radius of twenty miles. where the
smaller pueblos, which have each had
thriving populations i'll past centuries,
but which are now occupied only during
the summer months by families from
Zuni. Their depedence upon irrigation
makes agriculture laborious, but their
JOY at harvest time, when young and old
| of both sexes join in gathering and
threshing their crops of grain, is con
tagious in its merriment. Circus rings
are formed near the village, the clay soil
being leveled and beaten until firm
smooth surface is obtained and around
this horses, asses. and Indians trot IN q
groteSque procession, with an accom-
paniment of songs, and jokes, threshing
the sheaves of grain. The lordly Navajo
at such times, visiting there for trading
purposes, strides about, king in stat
ure and grace, or lazily smokes his
cigarette, whole he watches labor he
despises.
The language of the Zunis is unlike
any others with which we have compar-
ed it. DIR. Loew, of Lieutenant Wheel
er's expedition of 1873, mentions three
languages still in use by other puoblos
differing from this, and unintelligiblo to
the Zunis. Mr.. w W. H Davis, in
his excellent history of the conquest of
New Mexico, states that there are now
twenty-six pueblo5, with an estimated
population of ten thousand people,
speaking three different languages,
fourth having passed away with the last
of the Tagnos pueblos since the con-
quest. Mr.. E. G. Squier, in one of his
interesting works on Central America,
gives partial vocabularies of five languag
es spoken in New Spain at tine time of
the conquest, including the Mexican OF
Aztec. In none of these appears the
slightest similarity to that now now in
use at Zuni
The government of the Zunis consist
ant Governor, an alcalde or mayor,
three tenientes, who are responsible for
the good order of the town, and twelve
caziques OF councillors. OF the latter,
/ the chief, whose title is Wakalnano,
serves during life, as does also the Gov
ernor; the other caziques are elected an
nually, and may be once reelected.
There is also war chief, who has no
influence in the councils of the nation
till danger threatens.
Led by our hospitable friends of the
pueblo, we decended from the roof into
several of their houses, where we were
permitted to observe their domestic
habits and economy. Their rooms are
large but low-studded, and scrupulously
clean. The floors are of clay, and the
stone or adobe walls are usually white
washed. We saw he furniture, nor did
it seem necessary to the simple wants of
the family, who work, eat, and sleep on
the well swept floors, sometimes sitting
on ledge of stone which extends around
the four walls foot above the floor
The women look neat and contented,
seeming to be always busy, some weav-
ing thick wooden dresses, Others grind
grain or baking their curious, wafer-like
bread, accompanying the labor with
strange, weird songs. The grinding is
done by three women, who kneel over
stone troughs sunken into the floor.
Slabs of stone of different degrees of