Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-05-24
THE SAN BIAS INDIANS.
- L. Il

Large and Well Formed Men, and Honest
as the Day Is Long.
The San Bias Indian is not such a
bad specimen of the human race as
might be supposed, when it is remem-
bered that his ancestors were wont to
rub themselves well with cOcoanut oil
and roll in the sand to complete their
attire before attending a state dinner or
an Inauguration ball on the elevation
of a brave to chieftainship. They
have become somewhat civilized since
then. They appear to he a cross be-
tween the North American Indian and
the negro. They are large and we'll
formed men, for the-ncoss pert p6ssess-
ing splendid teeth and fairly intelligent
faces. Their chief industry is gather
ing cocoanuts. While they are not fond
of work. traders who visit them say they
are far more energetic than the North
American Indians, and can always be
relied upon to carry out any task which
they agree to perform.
In the course of year these people
supply the United States with about
So, 900, 900 worth of cocoanuts. In return
they get about 81, 500, 900 worth of food.
consisting of canned meats, groceries,
-four and other kinds of food. All OF
their clothing comes from New York or
Baltimore, and consists of the ga udiest
of calicoes and ginghams for the women
and the loudest of loud yellow-checked
trousers for the men. Their fondness
for gaudy attire and trifles like mirrors,
iack-knives, cheap watches and silk hats
amounts to a passion. They have an
other weakness liquor. This, the
American traders say, is supplied to
them entirely by the Spaniards, although
liquor is frequently an item on the man
ifest of trading schooner sailing from
this port.
During the past few months that the
supplies of the San Bias natives have
been cut off they have become wretched
ly poor from all accounts. Only the
other day letter from trader at Car
thagena to a merchant in this city said
that the Indian women along the coast
were but half clad, many of them hav
ing but one garment, and that ragged
and worn.
A merchant of this city, who has for
years been engaged in trading with the
San Bias coast, said, in speaking of
their manner of carrying on business:
They are as honest race as any
dark-skinned people to be found. Sell
dom has any thing gone amiss at any of
the trading posts along their coast. In
fact, the chiefs of the various tribes APP
point man to watch after the interest
of the various traders. This man will
act as sort of broker, policeman, col
lector of the port and politician.
He is paid in plug tobacco, silk
hats, top boots, checked trousers
or any other luxury that his
taste may fancy. They are a brave
people, and have often declared their
hatred for the Spaniards. AT any time
they are ready to fight in defense Of the
American firms who trade with them,
and if a fight should occur between
trading schooner and La Popa, the
Columbian man-of-war, l feel sure that
the trading schooner's deck would liter
ally swarm with San Bias Indians"
The most remarkable thing about
these Indians, traders say, is their
power to detect spurious metals. Re-
Gently a number of rolled-gold ear
rings, bracelets, fnger-rings, and, alas!
rings for the noses of the society ladies
of San Bias, were sent down to be ex-
changed for cocoanuts. They were
brought back, refused because they were
not eighteen-karat gold. The San Bias
women wear their bracelets about their
ankles instead of their wrists, although,
if they can spare pair or two from their
ankles they occasionally wear them on
their wrists.-N. Y. Commercial Adver-