Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-04-14
Manners and Customs Of the Indians In
Mexico.

iiu H>tVNl> vi tUF ih
Mexico.
The way OF living Of the MEXICAN In
dian i generally Very simple. Indian
corn i the principal food in the temper
ate zone. while the banana i eaten By
tho>e who inhabit the hot zone. Mai>
and bananas grow without any cXcrlion
on the part of The consumer. and we
generally lind both fruits growing in
abundance around the Indian huts. Next
10 mais and bananas. frijolc> thcau>) are
cherished by the redskins Meat i, sell
dom eaten. and on Y that which is dried
and cut up into long strips. Egg. how
ever, are much liked. and We seldom
lind 4 hut without chickens. Tortilla>.
kind of hoccakr. are served on holi-
DAYS or consumed in the town after the
Indian has disposed of his fruits i'll the
market. The fayorite beverage is
pulque. an extract of the agavc plant.
PulGuc, taken in moderate portions. is
wholesome; but taken IN large quanti-
ties it is rather intoxicating. On holt
DAYS we find many Indians drunk. after
having invested their last cent in the Ia
vorite beverage. In formcrtimc- II was
the exclusive right of the aristocracy to
get intoxicated In these days of mod
ern progress the privilege is shared by
the vulgar As well. The common In
dian regards intOXication not as a vice.
but as the ne Plus ultra of all earthly en-
joymcnts. Yet the authorities seem not
aiways to share the redskins singular
views, as the drunkards are often arrest
ed and locked up
As simple Is his manner of living
is the Indians clothing. The materials
are usually cotton or leather, and are
manufactured by the wearers them
selves. The shirt, if such is worn, is
roughly made of cotton. The men wear
wide trousers. Which seldom reach be-
low the knee, and which are fastened
with sash in the same manner as the
trousers worn by the inhabitants of the
Eastern countries. Leather trousers,
adorned with silver buttons or coins, are
only worn by those who can boast of a
small fortune, and the happy owners are
as proud of their property as the Alba
neSe or the Cheibek of Asia Minor.
Many Indians wear but single prini-
tive shirt with blue and white stripes.
holes being made in the garment for the
entrance of the head and arms. An lu-
dian wearing this single shirt reminds 4
traveller of the wandering Bedouins and
the inhabitants of India. The pictur-
esque head peace, adorned with beauti-
full feathers, has given away to the pro-
sale felt or straw hat The brims of
these hats are frequently ten inches
wide, and the part that covers the head
Is covered with colorcd ribbons and
glass pearls A faithful Moslem would
at once recognize in these Indian hats q
degenerate offspring of the sacred tur-
ban. Shoes are not worn by the In
dian; he usually travels barefoot, or uses
pair of sandals, corresponding exactly
to those worn by the hospitable sons OF
the Arabian desert. A wooden blanket,
with hole in the center, is owned by
nearly all Indians inhabiting the temper
ate zone. This protects the bearer
against stormy and cold weather and
keeps him warm in the night A very
light portable mat and the blanket form
the Indians bed, on which he rests hi:
tired limbs, while his brothers in the fan
East is kneeling on mat formed exact
ly like his, his face turned to Mecca and
offering his morning prayer to Allah. tho
ruler of the rising sun. The women
wear blue or white cotton shirt and 9
=. blanket. frequently interviewer with
beautiful arabcsques, is tied around tho
hip. In the hot regions the Indian wom
en- generally wear no shirt at all, but
only the blanket or blue petticoat. The
hair is hanging down the bach
or is twisted into cues, whose
on1S tod to tl,a, corl, fhot hollis h
petticoat. Both sexes wear rosaries, or
which cross or an image of some sain
is fastened around their necks and hang
ing down on the breast. The Indiar
women of Tehuantepec wear necklace;
of small gold coins and are as proud o
their treasure as the Bedouin maiden il
of hers.
The Indians dwelling place is prinT
tive and has the appearance of an i'm
mense bird-cage, as it is usually con
structed of reeds, the roof consisting o
palm leaves or leaves of the agave. Win
dows are wanting, and the fresh air may
easily penetrate into the ,:rhily con
structed edifice, whose door is general,
constantly open, without latch or lock
In the mountain districts the Indian con
structs his house of wood, and it resem
bles exactly the blockhouse in Canada o.
the far West. The interior of those hut
consists generally of but one room, who's
only decoration is kind of family altar
above which we are sure to find an imag,
of one of the Holy Virgins, gener
ally that of the Virgin of Mount Carmel
The wall is often decorated with martyr
and saints, The table. if such luxuriOu
piece of furniture exists, is generally
covered with pretty nosegays and othe
artistic arrangements of flowers. On tn
eve of great holidays tallow candle i
put on the altar and takes the place o
the kitchen fire, that on common weel
days furnishes light for the family, whel
the visit of some friend or tale-tellins
stranger keeps its members from seeking
their couch at an early hour. The kitchen
utensils are the metate and the comal
The metate is smooth stone abou
eighteen inches long, and serves to grint
the Indian corn and the caeao nut. TIL,
comal is an earthen vessel that serves t,
prepare the favorite tortillas. A gour,
bottle for water COMPLETES the Indian