Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-03-28
PIUTE COURTsHIP.
How Maidens Are Wooed and Won
Among the Indians.


Sarah Winnemucca, the daughter of a
Puite Indian chief gave to San Fran
cisco Call reoorter the following nara
tive OF the method of courtship in that
tribe:
AN INDIAN GIRLS DEBUT.
When girl reaches womanhood and
her family desire to indicate to the
tribe that their daughter has reao he'd the
manageable period, she makes her
debut. as you say in English, but the
Piute girl comes out in an entirely diff.
ferent way than the one adopted by her
white sister. Just before she reaches
womanhood, her grandmother has es-
pecial charge of her. To that old lady,
whose years are supposed to have
brought wisdom, the girl is given. She
schools her in domestic duties and ex
plains to her the nature and importance
of wifely relation. The girl then goes
with two older female. relatives t. a
teepee, which is small wigwam, where
she remains with them twenty-f five days
During this time she performs work
which is supposed to be STRENGTHENING.
1t consists chiefly of piling wood. Three
times a day, at morning, noon, and
night, she stacks five piles ofwood, max
ing fifteen each day. Every five days
her relations take her to the river to
bathe, and at the end of the time she
gives her clothi:ig 10 her attendants and
returns to the family lodge. Very fire.
.quently the wardrobe which she pre-
sents her female attendants is quite ex-
tensive, and is regarded by them as a
valuable present. When the young girl
has spent twenty-five da-s in the teepee
she has made her debut.into the society
of her tribe. and that is considered as a
public Announcement that she is ready
to marry.
.-' INDIAN BEAUTIES IN DEMAND.
Of course, q pretty, shapely girl is in
great demand, just as belle in your So
ciety. A girl with handsome face,
and fine black eyes and flowing hair as
black and glossy as ravens wing, aud
wi'lowy, graceful form, is the object Of
a great deal of attention from heyoung
men of the tribe. ard often of the older
men, too a lovely Indian girl is as
much sought after in Il her eircle as a
great beauty is in London drawing
room. But. Oh, how different the two
kinds Of courts.ip ere! We have no
parties in the wigwams to which young
folks go and get acquainted and court.
The young men and girls have no
theaters 10 attend, and no long walks
home after the play is over. They never
go riding together, nor strolling through
the woods along the river bank. They
never idle together in the canoe on the
water, plucking lilies and flowers. Al
though they seem to enjoy much greater
liberty to roam and wander whithersoev-
er their fancy may lead them:yet theya are
kept as close as prisoners. Piute court
ship lacks freedom, and yet it is not
devoid of that intense excitement that
attends love making the world over.
LOVERS ATTENTION.
You may suppose that the girls and
Young men would steal out Of their
lodges of moonlight nights and have
clandestine meetings. and WOO in that
way; but they never dare to do it. In
deed. they never speak together. A
word never passes between them. But
still girl very soon knows when
young man is interested in her. He
tries to catch ber attention, by his
horsemanship, on his skill with the
bow, or his athletic accomplishments.
He rides by her at furious speed, and
returns again and again. In this way
he attracts her attention, and Informs her
although he does not speak word, that
he loves her and would like to marry
her., But this does not comprise all of
his courtship. AT night, when the In
dams have retired to their wigwams
and are Sleeping, the young man rises
from his bed of leaves and skins and
goes 10 the lodge occupied by the girl
he loves. He enters silently and sits
down beside Der couch. A lodge is CIR
cular in shape, and at night when the
inmates 20 to bed, they heap brushwood
and logs on the fire in the center of the
tent, and then lie down with their feet
toward the fire and their heads toward
the outside or circumference OF the wig
wan. The Indians sleep on leaves and
robes, anu are covered, when sleeping.
with skins. AS the young man enters
the lodge he can see by the freight
where the young girl is sleeping. and he
goes directly to her side. often stepping
over other sleepers, and sits down by
her bed. 1t is customary for the young
Girl to sleep near her grandmother, who
is expected to rest lightly after the girl
has made her debut. AS soon az SHE
sees the young man enter she wakens
the giyl, who rises and goes to where
her m1ther is sleeping and lies down
beside her. As soon as she does this
the young man rises and goes out as
silently as he came in. - 80. ...,r-. .,,. -
len u A SILENT corKTsHfP. -@ lei
Not a word is spoken. He docs not
touch the girl, while he is sitting by her
as she sleeps. Her grandmother dees
. 20