Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-05-24
coAL-sLAck INDIANS.


A strange Savage Tribe Eoand In North.
western Nicaragua.
During the last seven months I have
visited all the i've republics Of Central
America But the most interesting part
Of my work was the exploration of the
hitherto unknown country Of the sam
hos, In Northwestern Nicaragua. II Is d
wild section, reached only hy tortuoas
Indian trails, covered with vast virgin
forests Of mahogany and cedar. and un
der the dominion Of the savage Sambos.
who have never yet yielded 20 the au-
thority Of any government but their
own. giving a nominal allegiance to the
Mosquito King. the last remnant OF
monarchy In the Western woFfisS. I hess
Sambos are as black rs ebony. possess.
ing some generic Identities with the
pure Congo, but widely differing from
him In other mental and physical feat.
nres. The origin of this tribe is traced
TO the black Indians found upon thr
isthmus when first visited by the daring
adventurer vasco Nunez de Balboa. the
diseoverer OF the Pacific. They are
still in barbarons state. being without
any wearing apparel and observing q
mythology and superstition. They en-
tertain blind faith in witchcraft, and
invest their sukias (successl with un
limited authority over temporal and
spiritual affairs.
The religion OF the Sambo and hi
Worship OF the god Rushika has struni
similarity to Puzza, an old god of th.
Japanese and Chinese. The Sambo BE-,
hcves that at certain seasons this go,
goes into certain plants and animals. n
we'll as giving visible manifestations %
himself In the sun. moon and stars. A,
a consequence they have great man,
objects OF vencration. The medicinal
plants are supposed TO receive their vir,
nes and TO have been given super
natural powers through the breath O
Rushika. The anaconda. which fur
nishes superior oil for the cure I
rheumatism, swollen joints. etc. is vcr
Grated for the same reason and relis
iously protected during the generatiI
season. They believe that all unusu.
connections in nature, such AZ eartl
quakes and tornadoes, are the yisib
angry moods Of Rushika. but that Il
same can be appeased or wardcd of |
charms or even by physical force. r,
instance, they think that the storr
cloud is supported by an evil messel
ger, whom they can kill by dischargir
their arrows into the approaching on
nous cloud.
The native doctors, or wise me
among the Sambos occupy high plac
in the estimation OF the natives. Tn.
use a few medicinal herbs In sicknes
but rely mostly upon char ms and spell
TO drive away the demon of disease. I
this end they carry with them certai
stones, seeds, teeth of wild animals
the anaconda. and other things. whi,
are concealed about the patient who hi
blind faith In the curative virtues
the charm. The sukia does not q
croach upon the domain of the docto
in the power of healing. but a
sumes by the exercise OF the ''blae
art TO visit the direst calamities upo
any one that ineurs her displeasur
One of these witches came near causiT
the massacre of our entire party. b
cause of an inexplieable dislike she la
taken Ia one of the native guides u
only escaped destruction by the pro
idential Intervention of a thunde
storm, which was construed as a
/ anger of Rushika at the deed.-A.
, Miller, in Atlanta Constitution.