The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-11
YUCATAN.
Pcculfaritics of the Natiyes-Strange
Marriage Rites,

Peculiaritics of the Natises-Strange
Marriage Rites.
In lecture before the Long Island
Historical society, Mrs. LIE Plong related
the following interesting facts about Yu-
catan and its people: The ancient mar
riagc rites are very interesting. On her
wedding day the Indian maiden, like her
fair sister, dons the best she can procure,
sometimes hiring or borrowing dress,
as we'll as plenty of laces and baublcs.
After the ceremony of the church is over,
she returns to the house of her child
hood. Eight days having elapsed, those
who gave her in marriage take her to the
house of her husband, whose father then
scatters cocoa beans over the floor for the
numerous guests to gather. They seem
to have forgotten the meaning of this,
but it may be symbolical of the hospi-
tallty that the young couple should offer
to all friends, for cocoa was current even
before the Spaniards arrived, while choc-
olate made from cocoa was in ancient
times, as it is now, the favorite beverage
throughout the country When the cocoa
is gathered the young couple knecl on a
mat, and the mother of the bridegroom
b!esses them, the father repeating the
blessing. This does not consist of laying
the hands on the head, but il sprinkling
water on them with a twig of rue. After
the blessing more cocoa is scattered, then
they put In the mouth of the bride and
groom a mixture of toasted corn, quite
bitter, and honey. The mixture is called
"kux." and its use is symbolical. Kux
means disgust, annoyance, anger, from
which no one in any state of life can hope
to bc altogether exempt, and the honey
represents the sweetness of a happy
union. The use of the rue has also its
meaning, for the JnIians are well aware
of the medical property of the pant.
Bul the Indians now hide themselves TO
observe OLD rites, and those who wish to
have a chance of seeing them must 90 TO
remote places, where travellers arc like
wise attracted by the temples and palaces,
remains of once f1ourishing cities that are
scattered over the peninsula and hidden
beneath dense forests. During the past
four years two or three railroads have
been constructed in Yucatan. Much
travelling, however, has yet to be accom-
plished over excessively bad roads,
and the conveyance in use, though
ctIOlS anu Sdic, Is ldl lIoul Soihioio
able. 1t is called bolan koche and
is kind of paiaquin supported on
leather straps. The bottom is net
work of ropes, on which a thin mattress
is spread, large enough to accommodate
six persons, sitting Turkish fashion, or
two lying full length, the way gcner-
orally preferred. The bolan kochc is
drawn by three mules. small but strong
They go just as they please, for the
driver seldom guides them, he is too
busy smoking cigarettes, snd they have
trick of choosing the worst places. Ii
but one stone is in sight they are sure to
jump the wheel over it. Leaving Merida
early in the morning we meet groups of
Indians on the way to the city market
with fruits, fowls, jars. sacks OF char
coal, loads of wood, and many other
things. Loads are carried on the back,
the strap being put across the forehead
for heavy loads and for light ones across
the chest. Some plod along the road
half hidden beneath lot of fodder.
Weary women drag themselves from
door to door crying "Manacnuch"-
"Buy charcoal" in anything but pleas
ant tones. The profits of the
or twelve cents These people
are remarkable pedestrians, six miles an
hour being an easy gait for them, and
they are SO polite that they never
fail to salute the passing white man. Not
even $50 years of slavery have destroyed
the innate good manners of the race.
The woods and hedges are covered with
brilliant colors. Brilliant plumed song
sters nestle among the green foliage, but
tlutter away at the approach OF man.
The woods abound with deer, timid rab
bits, gaudy turkeys, treacherous tigers,
and vcnomous snakes, glistening and
gliding among the blossoms. Some OF
the villages are very picturesque, with
Indian huts, above whose roofs the palm
trees tower like sentinels, while dusky
little urchins and half starved dogs frolic
together under the scorching sunrays.
Many parts of the country arc entirely
undermined by extensive caverns, that
formed delightfully."- cool retreats during
the heat of the day. There arc lony
winding passages and roomy
chambers following one after an
other long distances, with here and
there some chlnk in the stony vault
hOOSC WlISu q OuAOCdL JShN
tratcs, enabling us to see right openings
leading to untrodden places in the bow
els of the earth. In these caverns are
small pools of water of medicinal quail
ties In the west of Yucatan there is a
village called Bolonchcr, meaning nine
wells, because in the public square
there arc nine circular openings cut
through the strata of rock. They are
all mouths of one immense cistcrn mat.
ural or made by hand is not known.) In
times of drought they are empty, which
shows they are not supplied by any sub
terranean spring. In such times the
people depend entirely on the water
found in cave a mile and half from
the village. This is perhaps the most
remarkable cavern in the whole peninsu-
la. The entrance is magnificent, wild,
and picturesque, beneath an ovcrhangIng
rock
Skill With the LaSSO.