Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-09

Spanish priests and Indian women. Their
language is not unmusical, easy to learn,
and capable of being reduced to grammati-
cal rules. Though most of them under
stand Spanish, they invariably use their
native tongue when addressing the whites,
knowing perfectly we'll that they are not
understood, from which fact they seem to
derive an endless fund of amusement. In
coniugal relations they are not at all sub
iect to the "green-eyed monster" fire.
quently exchanging partners. When a
wife elopes with another man she is sell
dom pursued, her loss being borne with
philosophical indifference and her place
quickly filled by another. In swapping"
wives, when one is handsomer or younger
than the other, pig, pair of fowls, or
blanket is sometimes thrown in "to boot"
When the Spanish Government first
took notice of this tribe it granted them
the extraordinary privilege of raising
tobacco for their own consumption ION
their own lands), and the plant is still ex-
tensively cultivated by them. But their
tobacco is not of the same kind used by the
whites. While our tobacco plant has broad,
green leaves, that of the Yaquis has a
narrow, yellowish leaf, not nearly so strong
as ours, and without any disagreeable taste.
1t is called macuchi, and when gathered Is
rolled into large balls and covered with
corn husks.
There is another tribe, probably de-
scended from the same original stock,
known as the Mayas, over whom Chief
Jose Caieme also claimed chieftancy, and
who live along the Mayo river, which runs
parallel to the Yaqui, on the south of it.
Among the latter tribe are many fair
haired and blue-eyed Indians-probably
owing to the fact that they bear no ami
mostly to the whites, allowing the latter
to dwell in their towns, which the 1aquis
will never do.
There is another Sonora tribe, many
miles inland, called the Gilas-pronounced
Heilas. They take their name from the
ella river, and are very friendly to the
whites, frequently visiting Guaymas and
Hermosillo in large parties, accompanied
by chiefs who speak Spanish fuently.
These are taller than their neighbors,
and their strong point, like Samson's, is in
a profusion of hair, which they wear long,
both males and females, and take great
pains to preserve. Their costume is SIM
plicity itself, consisting merely of goat
skin, worn about the loins, and sandals of
the same material. The greater part of
them wear no head covering, the chiefs
alone indulging in breeches and straw
hats, ornamented with feathers.
From time immemorial there has ex-
listed on the ella river great white
house, now much dilapidated by ''the in
sidious tooth of time," whose origin is I'M
known. The remains of large aqueduct
may be seen near and many fragments of
fine porcelain are found-all proving the
existence of a civilized race in these re-
gions at some remote period of antiquity.
The ella Indians raise corn, beans, mel
ons and gourds of good flavor, some of
which grow to an enormous size. The
smaller ones they paint or polish and or
nament with geometrical figures, to be
used for domestic purposes. l brought
away dozen of these unique souvenirs,
all red, with odd designs in black and
white. FANNIE B. WARD.