The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-27

process of puncturing the flesh with bone
needles and rubbing in blue earth.
Even in bleak Patagonia the ''old, old
story" seems to be as attractive as when
told in the sun-kissed tropics, and, unlike
heaven, there is marrying and giving in
marriage" Here marriages are usually
those of inclination, and though man may
have as many wives as he can persuade
women to fall in love with him, it is said
that family jars and separations are eX-
tremeiy unexpectedly because the nus
band is complete master of the situation.
An enamored swain must first secure the
consent OF the object of his affections, and
then he sends q friend to her Parents, Of
fering horses or silver ornaments in eX-
change for the girl. If the parents have
no serious objections, the impatient lover
dresses up in his smartest capa and potro
boots, his mother, or an earlier sharer O.
his coniugal affections carefully brushes
his hair, paints his face, and buckles on his
sllver-studded belt and garters he mounts
his ~tieetest horse, bedecked with all the
~trappings of fur and feathers and
JINGLING SILVER
he owns or can borrow, and gallops gaily
to the toldo of his intended, followed by q
troop of friends bringing the stipulated
gifts. The brides parents return presents
OF equal value; and then, without more
dOlc, IuC 10 EudW SI6Uo A-o DluShlhS .
lifts her on the same horse with himself
and proceeds to his own toldo, amid the
cheers of his friends and the singing Of the
N Mares are slaughtered and eaten
for the wedding feast, extraordinary pains
being taken to prevent the dogs from touch
ing a morsel of the meat or offal. as that
would be the most unlucky Of omens. The
head, tail, heart, liver and backbone are
taken to the top of the nearest hill and left
there ac q nrnnitiatnrU OtfpciDO tn E1IlaH-
chu, the Patagonian devil, who strangely
enough, is supposed to be especially inter-
eSted in matters matrimonial.
When a child is born to well-to-do pa
rents, that is, if they own plenty Of horses
and silver ornaments, notice Of the happy
event is Immediately sent to the chief, the
relatives and the medicine-man or wizard
OF the tribe. The latter worthy bleeds
himself by sticking a bodkin into his arm or
leg, and then orders a small tent of the
finest furS and lechus constructed within
which he may retire to work some special
charms for the child's future; and mean
while mares are killed and cooked for the
Inevitable dance and feast. The baby is
smeared all over with grease and gypsum,
never to be clean thereafter in all his
earthly career; and if need be, the mother
is able to travel on horseback the same
day, carrying along the latest addition to
the family in a wicker cradle. These cradles
are ingenious affairs,
STRIPS OF wICKER-WoRK
interlaced with thongs, and fitted with g
cover, like that of a hamper, to keep off sun
and wind. They are so constructed as tic
rest easily on the mothers saddle-gear,
and are decorated to the utmost extent OF
the parents means with little bells, beads
shells, plates of brass and si~lver-anything
that will shine and rattle. The women are
equally FOND of o~rnamenting themselves
and old and young wear enormous ear
rings, each a silver dollar beaten to double
it's natural size, suspended to small ring;
thrust through the lobe of the ear; beside:
necklaces and armlets of glass beads AMI
bits of silver, capa pins with fiat head
large as templates, etc. The men also wea,
necklaces, and though they do not care a
all for gold, adorn their pipes, knives
sheaths and horse-gear with all the silve
they can lay their hands on.
The Patagonian saddle is odd enough t
deserve a paragraph. Side boards al
made by splitting a piece of timber in tw
and reducing it to the requisite size an,