American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-07

tucll. 1Hey also OWN Il very SlnSuldl
breed of dogs, that am convinced are {
cross between the prairie wolf and oul
common dog.
| IA short time after our arrival in the
town the cacique or gobernadorcillot visited
| us, bringing with him native, who spoke
little broken Spanish, and we were thus
enabled to converse, after fashion, with
this official
The dress of these Indians is similar tc
that of the other Pueblo Indians of New
Mexico. Their complexion is much light
er than that of the Indians, and they have
more of the Teutonic cast of features
Their faces were SO bright and intelligent
that fancied they only required to be
clothed in an American dress and sEorn
of their long locks of coarse black hair to
enable them to easily pass for people OF
our own race who had become brown
from exposure to the sun.
The women appeared more intelligent
| and dressed with far more taste than the
men. They have a curious way of dress
ing their hair. By it the initiated can
know whether they are married or un.
married. 1t is always done up in two in
verse rolls upon the sides of the head by
the unmarried. When married, these
rolls give place to broad braids.
The MOqui girls are, many of them
really pretty, and enjoy one privilege moi
generally accorded to the ladies; that is,
the right to propose for their own hus-
bands. When damsel decides upon &c the
coming man" she Immediately notifies
her father of the fact He forthwith in
forms the father of the lucky swain of the
good fortune in store for his son.
The fathers then talk the matter over
and agree upon the settlement that must
be made upon the bride. This usually
consists of wearing apparel, with such ar
ticles as may be required for housekeep-
ing. the bride being Obliged to furnish
and prepare, with her own hands, the we'd
ding dinner. Partaking of this dinner,
with the dance that follows, constitutes the
marriage ceremony.
Females are never permitted to join in
any Of these dances, their places being
filled by young men who dress in imita-
ton of women; all the dancers are re-
quired to wear mask. These masks are
made of peeled willow-twig nicely woven
together, those worn by the men being
dyed brown and those by the supposed fe-
males bright yellow.
The vice of drunkenness is unknown
among this people, as is also the crime of
murder
Their houses are constructed of unhewn
stone, laid in mortar of mud, which is
brought from the valleys below upon the
backs of Iurr0s. In general outline and
detail of construction they are exact pat
terms of those built and occupied by the
ancient Aztecs 1900 years ago. From the
paths or trails between their villages, worn
by the moccasined feet of these Indians
deep into the solid rock, it is evident that
they must have dwelt upon these mesds for
centuries. How many-whO shall tell?
The only entrance to their houses
which are generally from two to three
stories in heights by ladders, as is the
case in all the pueblos.
Each dwelling has its patron saint, an
ugly little Aztec image, which is kept
suspended by string from the rafters of
the main or family room. These are gen
orally gaudily painted and decorated, and
are regarded more as ornaments than gods.
Uncivilized though the MOquis are, they
own clothing, blankets, tilands, ETC., as well
rs certain kinds of pottery ware.
They have also u system of reservoirs,
or stone tanks, built of masonry, in the
most substantial manner, and holding
many million gallons of water. These are
with smaller ones below by
pipes, and thus utilized for watering their
stock. The sheep and goats are driven
eight or ten miles to pasture each day.
These people have singular religious
belief, nor could hear of its adoption in
any other pueblo.
They believe that their great father Mon
tezuma lives where the sun rises; but
their great mother is the earth. She peO-
pied the world; from her bosom sprang
nine races of men-the deer race, the sand
race, the water race, the bear race, the hare
race, the prairie-wOlfr race, the rattle-snake
race, the tobacco-plant race and the seed
grass race After death the body is re-
turned to the bosom of Mother Earth,
where it assumes the form of the particu
lar race from which it sprung, thus aiding
in renewing the decaying elements of the
great mother of the universe.
With the imperfect means at my COM
mand l found it almost impossible to
CLEAN anything but very general idea of
the manners and customs of this most sim
gular race, who, it is asserted by the other
are descendants of the AZtecs,
though with Welsh blood in their veins.
Such facts as learned l give you, and if
this short sketch should serve to awake in
the minds of the readers of the Companion
a greater interest in the history of the abo-
riginal races who formerly peopled this
continent my object will have been at
Woodaoorh Cozzens, IN
Youths Companion.
"A fiat, table like surface, upon the top of a
hill mountain.
Small jackasses.
Governor.