Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-05-12
Exercising the Devil.

A correspondent at San Luis Rey In
dian Agency gives the following de-
scriptiOn of the manner in which the
savages drive the evil one away: ''The
Indians do not like to take medicines,
but they held, few days ago, fiesta
for three successive nights for the pur-
pose of decoying the demon of sickness,
and, if possible, to catch and kill him.
1t was the best have yet seen in the
many years of my acquaintance with
the life and customs of these Mission
Indians. After lot of bucks, naked,
but fixed up with paint and feathers,
had exhausted themselves by dancing
and stamping the ground about an hour
around big fire and got hoarse from
grunting and bowling, an old gray
buck, the 'chissero,' stepped into the
center of the ring and began, in low,
mournful voice, to sing. He was
dressed-or, rather, undressed-the
same as the others, with the exception
that he had rattle made out of the
tails of rattlesnakes in his right hand,
while on his head was tiara formed of
three punches of plumes.
''From time to time he went outside
of the ring upon the hillside. and, look
inc up in the air in all directions, called
in decoying voice for the ghost. When
he returned he always explained in
few whispered words how difficult it
was and how dangerous it was for him,
and that he was very much afraid. At
last, when he came back again from the
hill, he danced three times
around the fire, when he was
seized with heavy commissions, which
brought him, under fearful means (and
seemingly he suffered terrible pains) to
the ground. But he had still force
enough left to pull out the bundles of
feathers from his head. With these he
rubbed his chest, and this releasing him
from the power of the demon, he jumped
up, and with fearful yells everybody fol-
lowed him in wild tumult, men,
women, and children crying .Matarlo,
Matarlo' (kill him, kill him), and beat
ing the ground with the sticks they had
ready for the occasion.
Il got out of the way then, for they
seemed to be a lot of loose maniacs.
When they returned to the ring they all
stood up in a circle, the old 'chissero'
dug a little hole in the center, and after
some more singing and stamping the
ground, pulled one of the bundles of
feathers from his head, and giving fear
full yells the same wild beating of the
ground followed, in which even old
Vicente took part. This concluded the
ceremonies, and everybody went home
feeling satisfied that he was the one who
had hit or killed the ghost, and no more
sickness was going to prevail in the vii
lage The whole made picturesque
scene-the swarthy old bucks with their
sweaty faces illuminated by excitement
and dancing; the huge fire burning in
the middle, of which once in while a
kick would send the flames and sparks
away up in the tops, of the trees; the
stern face of the Captain sitting on a
chair with long rod in his hand, and
the audience with eager expectation,
sitting on the ground the fair SEX do
ing their,part in singing. Then owls
would fly overhead through the branches
of the dark, shadowing oaks, joining in
with their voices, and adding to the awe
of the whole, while fair Luna's face
rose, shining in its soft splendor above
the mountains to illuminate it all.
San Bernar1ino (Cal.) Lader.