Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-21

1
| are singular enough to merit description.
They are natural horns, scraped, polished
and carved, having both ends tipped with
native silver. These are for the use of
chiefs and well-to-do persons poorer people
being content with drinking out of little
| gourds which have been sccoped out and
| the shells carved or painted. We devoutly
| hoped that squaws might be exempt from
| the duty of drinking but there was no such
| good luck. In an imperative aside our in
| terpreter told US that we must not only
drink, but drink with gusto, pretend to like
| it and call for more, if We would not give
mortal offense and endanger the lives of
| the whole party Before the ceremony be-
| gan, the chief required his fayorite wife to
| take sip from every horn-a custom
among the Araucanians to prove to stran-
| ger-guests that the food or drink has not
| been poisoned Most of US turned pale
| with the effort, but every one swallowed
| horn full at one fell gulp, or pretended to,
| after spilling it in the long thick fur upon
| which we sat. Chicha is not unpleasant To-
! the taste, whether made of corn, whef,
| apples or wild grades, but we knew that
in this every dirty female in sight had had
| a hand. or rather tooth. The Indian way,
| of making II is truthfully described bAE
| gentleman who recently saw it done in this
| part of Araucania.
He says: while the women are engaged
| at their usual avocation, one Of them
| brought out a dish of meal, slightly mois-
| tened, and Z small earthen jug, both of
which she sat upon the ground. One Of the
| girls approached, took handful OF the meal
and made il into bail, which she stuffed in
her mouth, and with both cheeks distended,
returned to her work. Another followed
and another until all from children TO blear-
eyed old crones, We're busy munching and
chewing, with their faces pulled out like
balls. but still managing to keep up cease
laCC fgh har m t,aLy- m
| returned, and lifting up the jug, emptied
into il the whole contents of her mouth.
She took another nouthful of meal and went
off. chewing and jabbering as before The
rest followed i'll due time; and so 1t went on
until the meal was exhausted and the jug
was full. | approached one OF the women,
beng puzzled to comprehend these proceed
ingS, and pointing TO the jug inquired chem
tua-'what is thatn 'Mudai, she replied,
cume, cume, good. good Just then the
guide came along and l asked him what on
earth the women were doing. Making
mGdai, or Indian chicha,' he explained COM
poSedly. Great Scott; the liquor that l
have been drinking for moth past?' The
very same he replied; and without observ-
ing the nervous twitching of my mouth,
went ON to describe the process mnutely.
A quantity of wheat is boiled over a slow
fire for several hours, after which the
decoction is strained and set aside to cool.
added, in order TO produce rapid fermenta-
ton: and as soon as fermentation begins
the liquor is fit for use. A bumper of the
fresh brewed was offered me that evening,
which | respectfully declined. This process
of beer making is not peculiar to the
Araucanians for Mr.. Herndon, in his Val
ley of the Amazon, speaks of native drink
prepared in the same way
Warmed into confidence by this glowing
cup the chief informed us that he was Il
very rich man, having fifteen wives, fifty
ponies and many sheep; that his subjects
were loyal and contented. as were all the
tribe to which he belonged. They were at
peace with the world. had good homes and
enough to eat-what more could they de-
sire! True, the smallpox visited them
pretty often and carried OFF great many
people. but notwithstanding that depopU-
latOr, the LlanistOs We're the most power
full nation on earth.
Through the interpreter, we replied that
we We're not Spaniards nor descendants of
Spaniards, and that We had read with
pleasure how his ancestors had withStoOd
the cOnquerors; that we sympathized with
his warriors and knew from those facts
that they were very brave. The delighted
chief beamed from top 10 toe with pleasure
and whispered something TO Squaw, who
left the roU.I and presently returned with
an armful OF human skulls. From most of
them the face part had been partially cut
away and all were worn perfectly smooth.
The grinning chief assured US that every
skull was once the Uranium of 4 Spaniard
of high rank, who had been slain while
fighting the Araucanians. Some of them
had been handed down from generation to
generation through several centuries and
were used only by chiefs and wise men to
drink out of on great occasions. The 9TH
ers had been taken from enemies during
his own time and were used fer drinking
cups at ordinary feasts.
One of the party, anxious TO learn some
thing about the religious belief of these
strange people. asked the chief if he was
not afraid those dead SpauiardS might re-
turn sometime and claim their heads. His
lordShip replied with perfect sincerity that
he did not think il possible, because they
were fully occupied up in the clouds fight
ing with the Indians they had killed, and
being themselves killed over and over again
through all eternity. In reply to the ques
ton whether ali Indians go to the clouds at
death, he said that only warriors that had
distinguished themselves in battle were
permitted to go there. When common
Indian dies he Immediately becomes n
bumble-bec, having nothing to do but to
wander up and down the earth, eating sweet
things and singing his enemies.
The AraucanIans never have feast with
out putting some chicha, sugar and other
good things on the graves of their dead, SO
IIdI the DulUUltDttfS lElp
have entered, may have their share. When
the warrior-spirits in the clouds are angry,
the friends on earth can see their wrath in
the form of lightning; and when they have
Il great battle with their old-time enemies,
and the latter are VanQuiShed. il is known
by their howlS of distress, which we call
thunder \ very great chief who has led
his tribe through many successful battles.
goes to a better place than the clouds-he
is turned into j volcano: and when things
on earth dn not please him, he shows his
rage by splitting cut fire ana smoke. After
an hour or two of this edifying conversa-
tion we begged permission to retire and
pitch our tents for the night. To this not
not unreasonable request the chief was
loath to consent, saying that we must re-
main in his house, where his wives would
serve US well. Being placated, however,
by the gift of red blanket, pair of vel
low leggings and small mirror, he reluct-
antly let us 60 FANNIE B. WARD.