The Portland daily press., 1882-03-14

he found himself the possessor Of an adopted
father. with host Of adopted brothers and SIS
ters all more or less ELUSIVE in their attentions
TO their new relative The family or clan life
had its drawbacks, but was easily endurapie.
The worst feature was the free use which the
brothers and sisters made with Mr.. Cushings
property, returning everything to It's place ouI
making use Of it for the time. In return Mr..
Cushing was accorded the privilege OF helping
himself to whatever he might fancy While
he had his own private sleeping room, he was
compelled to submit to the presence during a
great part of every night OF dozen or more OF
bis brothers, who gossiped and SMOKED cigar
cites, for which they have an lnordlnafe fond
ness. The Zuni cookery he found 10 DC psiaia-
ble and the variety OF dishes sutiio ent Strict
chastity prevailed everywhere, and the treat
ment of women was in striking contrast to that
which prevails among other Indian tribes. This
iSdue, as Mr.. Gushing believes, to the fact that
upon marriage the husband sewers his conhec-
tion with his own family and becomes mem
Der of the family or clan of his bride. Ii he
does not prove agreeable, he may, after trial,
be turned adrift, and his chance for getting an
other wife then becomes smaller Thus the
women hold the reins OF power in the family.
They do not work in the fields, nor are they
bewers of wood and drawers of water ike the
women of the rowing tribes. From Joking WIN
Mr.. Gushing about becoming member Oh
their religious orders, the chiefs, after receiv-
iug many proofs of his loyalty to the tribe, be-
gan to consider the idea seriously. To become
member of the Order of the Bow to which MIR.
Gushing aspired as being, with one exception,
the highest and most influential OF their secret
orders il was necessary that he should take
scalp and thus prove himself man. Upon his
return from an expedition to neighboriDg
tribe, whittier he was accompanied by some
scouts, he exhibited scalp to the Zunis and
was thereupon indicted with mysterious and
trying ceremonies, lasting several days, into
the order This opened the doors of all the
subordinate orders, and he found himself at
once in position 10 learn the interesting and
curious traditions and historic mysteries of this
ancient people, which it was, in part, the func-
ton of the secret order to preserve. MIR. Cnsh-
ing was soon elected 8 member of the Council
and became a tribal diguitary, with many SER
wants to do his bidding
AT present Mr.. Gushing holds dual position,
that of Assistant Head Chief, or Lieutenant
Governor, and of War Chief AS Lieutenant
Governor it is his duty to sit beside the Head
Chief in all trials at law, to- listen TO the argu
ments upon either side, and when they are
concluded to summarize them. The Head
Chief follows with briefer summary and the
sentence. AS War Chief, Mr.. Gushing is abb
solute in all that pertains to offensive and de-
fensve operations, and is also the tribal execu-
toner, it being his duty, in case of capital
punishment, to strike the first blow to the vic
tim. Mr. Gushing aspires to become member
of the last and highest secret order of the tribe
the IA Ka. This order is under the control
of four priests, who have in their keeping the
sacred water from the ocean OF the Sunrise, or
Atlantic Ocean. It is contained in cane tubes,
and as nearly as can now be ascertained was
brought to them more than century ago. 1t
| is nearly gone. only about an inch of it remain
ing in one of the canes. 1t is used in cere-
monial which takes place once in four years,
and is exceedingly precious. In order to be-
come member of the Ia Ia it was necessary
that Mr.. Cushing should further manifest his
intention to live forever a Zuni, by taking
Zuni wife. This was too much, and the offer
was declined. Mr.. Cushing then proposed to
conduct their priests to the Ocean of the Sun
rise for new supply of sacred water in return
for the induction into the Ka IA, and this
being considered a great service the offer was
accepted. One of the high priests of the order
is with the party, and the ceremony which is to
make Mr. Gushing member will take place
when they reach Boston. Among the literary
treasures which will be at his command when
once he gets within the sacred circle is an
Iliad, rythmical and metrical, requiring twenty
| six hours for single repetition, which embod-
| les the mythology and history of the tribe
| from its supposed genesis. 1t is one of the
chief functions of the four priests to remember
| and hand down to posterity this great sacred
poem. Mr.. Gushing is thorough master of
the Zuni language, and has already collected
q vast store of information in the form of
traditions, poems and folklore, which he has
translated and recorded. He proposes to re-
turn to the Zunis and to spend three or four
years more among them.