Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-09
STRANGE CUSTOMS.
Life in the South of Chili---A
"House Warming."
THE WOMEN IN FESTIVE ARRAY.
Novel Way of Gaining q Bride-A Feast
In Which Nachi Figured-Blood of
aLamb an Emblem of Safety.
The War Offering.
Special correspondence of The Gazette.

Special CORES pondence of The Gazette.
VALp1vIA, CHILL. Aug. 29-On the second
day of our detention in the Llanisto terri
tory. the swollen, bridgeless streams still
keeping us close prisoners, we were
honored by an invitation to attend house
raising on the morrow-which in Araucania
is made the occasion of prolonged festivities
and may ceremonies. We were informed
that grand feast would be the especial
feature of each days doings, and that every
guest was expected to contribute thereto
something edible or drinkaple.
What DO you suppose was our contribu-
tionl In this case necessity was the mother
OF invention. and we sacrificed to the
emergency our last sack of self-raising
flour, baked into large griddle cakes.
These when cold, were spread with thin
coating of canned peach jam, and piled one
above another in huge heaps. 1t kept the
cook busy all the rest of the day. assisted
by the ladies' of the party: but the i'm
promptu dish was pronounced success,
and we afterwards learned that the Indians
looked upon it as the white mans staple
article of food.
Early the next morning the great chief
came to escort us in person to the distant
clearing where the new dwelling was to be
szfefted, and as i mark of especial conde-
~scension we s'squaws" were permitted to
follow i'll the rear. So gorgeously was his
greasy highness got up for the occasion
that it may truly be said even Solomon in
all his glory was never so arrayed He
wore the yellow leggings and double GRIM
son bed-blanket lately presented to him by
our leader, with my silver soap case hung
around his neck by blue ribbon, where it
ratified against triple necklace of teeth,
human and animal; while his bushy hair,
in which stripes of red flannel were braided,
was crowned by a tiara of brilliant feathers
and hung with long strings OF birds bones
Far in the respectful distance trotted his
several wives. bearing his beloved pipe, gu
anaco robes for him to sit upon. and his
choicest heritage, the time-worn skulls that
serve for drinking vessels, without which
no feast would be complete.
Arrived AZ the spot we found most of the
villagers already assembled, and every
duSky face wore Z look OF the most perfect
happiness | ever beheld on human counte-
nances. At one side. where the squaws
were mostly collected we noticed several
young sheep. Yet living, lying bound among
scores Of chicha-pots, and bags OF green
corn; and Us new guests arrived additions
were constantly made TO the store. When
ever Il donation was handed in, the follow
ing dialogue invariably took place between
tue donor and those appointed 10
superiutend the feast: Il beg you
10 accept 4 mere tlitie as an Offering to
this great OCCASION How very gener-
ous Nothing of the kind was expected,
and you ought not TO nave brought 50
much.'' 1T is but u poor tritie not worthy
SO grand feast, but l pray that you will
not disdain it.
Presently some squaws began digging
holes in the ground close by; two young
women seized one of the bound sheep,
stretched it across a log, and while one held
il, the other turned over IFS head and ran a
knife into the large vein behind its ear. II
soon bled to death, and all the blood was