New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-04
HOW THE ARA UCANOS LIVE AND DIE
From The San Francisco Bulletin.

From The Francisco BbUettn.
The dwelling of the ArauCanO round IN shape,
with concal root, the centre of which has an open
ing for the escape OF smoke The SIZE Is III prOpOl-
tion to the family occupants. II is made OF uPrignt
posts planted the ground and horizontal poles are
fastened all around, leaving narrow place Tor the
hide doorway. Over the poles are tied one hanging
down over the other lunches OF dried grass or
straw TO keep out the rain and WIND. Some OF the
caciQues are said to possess as many as nine wives
who sleep upon dried hides spread upon the HD0f,
fine rest of the family occupying the spare space, the
feet toward tho middle of the room, where IRE l.,
kept up during wet or cold weather. Men ana
women bathc every morning at daybreak III tne
rivers or creeks and at the trading posts 1t Is SAID
that the women arc very Clearly IN thGlr cooking'
usIpg wooden spoons III place OF their hands. ! ne
warriors make raids into the Argentine Republic,
and drive away hundreds OF horses ana catIIe.
When successful, they sell the products OF their
raids to the Chilans and, when an opportunity OIL
fers do not hesitate TO steal the animals PACK again
TO be disposed of a second time. These RAIDS INTO
the neighborng republic are not always pIOhtaole.
Sometimes the soldiers Overtake them, showing no
mercy. and Strengthening them lndiscrilnnateIy
which they can easily do by the superiority OIL hre-
arms over men OH horseback armed with lances.
When not engaged in war or hunting expeditions
they eight stretching out at full length on lne
ground in the hot rays of the sun. The women do
fine outdoor work. the planting and gathering OF
crops and attend to indoor work as we'll Their cows
supply the principal wants OF the lamuy,, ana ale
taken great Of The husbands are klnu 10 tleil
wives to all appearances. and the traders say that
very seldom does quarrel take place among the
women IL, l. ::
left TO the medicine women who use herbs ana roots,
and when these fail in effect, 1t is attributed TO me
tricks of the evil spirits. Use Is then MADE OF me
horn drum and incanatiOns, which produce a nor
rlble din Should common man or woman die the
body is carried out of camp and oftentmeS cast up
on the ground. and left there. With the caclque IL
is i(ferent Tor he is believed to be more than a
mortal. and can only die b. assassination, battle,
or by attacks of the evil spirits. The medicine
women when they find all their reimdies ana
arts useless and the cacique breathing his last. fly
IN all directions to escape Indian vengeance many
making their way to the Chill settlements othfIs,
hidden die of starvation. The nelghO0rlng tribes
will not succor them and they hunted up in all
directions No matter how many years elapsc,
when caught they must be sacrificed to appease
the chiefs spirit When the cacique Is dead no i'm
mediate notice is taken of it. but his body is placed
in wicker-work. and hung up IN the dwelling under
The omen chimney where all the smoke passes over
and above him. The family live III the room and
never remove from il to another dwelling. During
fine time of smoking the body, the poor medicine
women or perhaps n wife or two are subjected, at
intervals, to the torture.