Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1889-03-08
SOME UNiQJE PEoN CUSTOMS.
A Queer Mud CrOwn-Sleeping In Trees
and Making Obesiance to the Sun.

Among the most curious people Of
this continent" remarked John Oien-
dorf to knot of three or four friends
at the Occidental Hotel. "are the native
poems OF Mexico. aud when you look
at the female portion of that unac-
countable race you get curious repre-
sentation that makes you pause with
wonder.
Living on the borders of Arizona
Mexico, as have for nine years past,
| have had good opportunity to see
people would pass by unnoticed. The
longer | stay the more am impressed
with the unaccountable ways of the de-
scendants of the Aztecs. The society
lady of the poems, i'll NAV speak Of
her as such, has a way of doing up her
back hair that have never seen dupli-
Gated anywhere.
1T is no less than to put q great
clay crown on the top of her Uranium.
in which the hair is matted like pigs
bristles in plaster. This crown reaches
up say eight or nine inches and looks
like a great plaster cone. It serves q
double purpose. Not only is it worn at
evening parties. but throughout the
dY. Indeed, the primary object Of
the mud cone was to preserve the
head from the intense heat of the
southern sun. Now, however. it is
worn at evening balls. and no lady
thinks herself recherche and in posi-
lively good form unless she has her
novel crown on. The hair is matted and
nd Ial .tl - e
and it may be depended on that it can
not come loose and come tumbling
down and cause Der any emba rass-
ment in company. The longer a cone
is worn the harder it gets. and when it
has reached the age Of month. say, it
is as hard as brick bat, and would
have to be smashed to pieces with u
sledge il there were no other way dis
covered. This, however, happily is the
case
The old Aztecs invented, and tho
secret has been perpetuated in the race.
peculiar solution compounded from
wild plants which knock the plaster
topknot to smitbereens. 1t takes some
time to do IL, however, usually from
five to six hours. aud during this time
the lovely Aztec maiden or matron
must soak her head in big jar of this
solution. 1t is the proper thing for
the women to change these cones at
least once a month. After that the
whiiish soil Of which 1t is composed
er loses caste. And there is caste
among the poems as much rs there Is
-among auy other class Of people.
These native women are fond Of
necklaces. and you will often see them
going about with nothing on except q
necklace and a mud crown. Others
again will have slight raiment The
men do not wear mud crowns, but
they are often as limited in their attire
as the feminine sex. Their habits are
extremely simple in the main, though
in some other respects they go off ON
wild tangents.
During a larger part Of the year
you will see. il you journey through
this region. hammocks slung from all
trees Mt uight-time. Indeed, il you
were TO be- out uf moonlight night,
and it was your first experience. you
would think the palm and pine trees
were bearing singular fruit. The
natives are all in the hammocks- They
are there TO escape the iarantulas, CEN
tipedes. aud Mexican scorpions, which
are out on the rampage. Let one Of
these things get into your blankets and
he never will be easy until he gets u
nip at the occupant This is why the
natives will never sleep on the ground.
Besides, it is cooler aud more COM
Portable in the trees
..The peon, when he rises in the
morning, makes a queer obeisance to
the east. He is safutiug the morning
sun. and does it by first bowling until
he has his body a. right angles to his
legs and horizontal To the earth. In
this position he pauses dcvnutly for
perhaps a quarter Of a pinu,c, and
then. raising his body to its proper
position. lie abruptly thrusts his right
leg and then his left forward. Another
polite bow to Aurora. delivered by an
inclination of the head alone. and the
business is done.
This salutation is supposed to win
him favor with the reigning forces Of
the heavens and make him solid for
the day. The women never go through
this morning performance. They leave
all such things TO the men. The children
of both sexes quickly catch up the
ways Of their elders. and thus grow up
perpetuating all the customs Of the
race. San FRANCISCO Examiner.