Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-08-07
A GAUTEMAIAN VILLAGE
Primitive Customs and Costumes OIL
the Inhabitants.
Cor. New Orleans Times-Demecrat,

Cor New Orleans IlmeS-DemGcraC-
rrhe bulk of Central America is yet
unsurveyed. and as the Spanish have
never developed the faculty of loca
ton to a great extent, and are
absolutely incapable of judging of
distances. an explorer is dependent
upon his own resources for data to
define his position from day TO day.
The village of Chahal numbers but
six years. 1t has its origin in desire
of some of the inhabitants Of Cajabon
and San Pedro in the department of
Vera Paz to escape from labor upon
the coffee estate; SO they fled to the
wllds upon the northern foot hills of
the Santa Cruz mountains and made
homes for themselves and children.
The Santa Cruz range of mountains
borders the lake of Yzahal upon the
north. In direct line tie village is
about thirty-fve miles a little south
of west from the mouth. of the river
Sarstoum, and nearly fifty miles due
west from Livingston.
The town is built on six spurs of
hills, all pointing toward "a low
green valley" and the houses are
scattered, with q delightful want of
uniformity. They are matched cot
tagcs, with stockade sides and ends;
windows would be useless, and there
forethey have none; doors they have,
but they are unhung-some of them in
sections and some entire; to open
them they are taken away entirely.
their floors are the trodden face of
good mother earth, and chairs ditto.
Yet the village and surrounding val
leys have a population of at least fif-
teen hundred The men of Cajabon
are easily distinguished from those
who come from San Pedro, for their
neither garments are such as were
worn by our grandfathers, ending at
or above the knee, but those from
San Pedro wear pantalOOns to the
ankles.
The women ordinarily wear the
single robe common TO the race far
and near; that is two or three yards
of home made cotton cloth wound
about the waist, with the end tucked
in TO hold in place, Their dressmak-
ing is not expensive after the cloth is
woven. For extra occasions they use
q square piece of cloth with hole cut
out of the center to put the head
through; this hole is embroidered
with colored yarns, so that when it is
on it extends the effect Of colored
beads, which are almost universally
worn on the neck. The men use
square blaRke5 of homemade. cotton,
bat theirs is only thrown over their
shoulders; some use short jackets
neatly bound and embroidered. The
people are more than ordinary in
their looks; they are muscular and
healthy evidently not working more
than enough to keep them robust.
-Four years ago the government
found out that this village had as
sumed considerable proportions, and
they sent here a secretary with title of
commandant, and he has since
governed with the aid of an Indian
alcalde and a few assistants.
The secretary is the only person
speaking Spanish IN the whole settle
ment. The Indians use the cachicael.
a language in which the consonants
appear to be the more empathic and
numerous.
The tortilla Of Indian corn is the
principal food of all the people,
though beans are grown and eaten to
some extent. They have plenty of
hogs and chickens, but no other do
nestle animals, except dogs which
are numerous.