The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-27
THE GILLIAN INDIANS
The Home Life of the Savage
Araucanians.
CAREER OF A YOUTHFUL BRAVE
How the Medicine Men Turn q Patient
Wrong Side Out in Search
of the Devil.

NALD1VIA, Cnlll, Aug. ~, 1o3l.-l opccld1
correspondence to THE SUNDAY HERALD. i
Our camp in the Llanista village was ar
ranged with the ladies' sleeping tent in the
centre, the five other tents set close around
it, the mules and horses tethered at a little
distance where wooded hillock served as
hreak-weather-al under the shelter of
splendid grove Of pimento (pepper) trees,
whose dropping branches, covered with
feathery leaves of darkest green and long
punches of pink pepper-corns, nearly
touched-the ground on either side. A guard
of armed servants and muleteers was
posted night and day, and the gentlemen
took turns in overseeing the watch. But
our precautions proved to be entirely IN
necessary. We were never safer in the
midst of civilization than here in the heart
of Araucania, in the unsurveyed wilds OF
this distant country: and had any outside
danger menaced US, l believe that
the Indians-who considered US their
guests and therefore under their special
protection-would have defended US with
their lives, if need be. 1t happened that a
storm came on-a three days chilly drizzle,
common in this latitude at any time Of the
year, where a wet season and dry, which
prevail nearer the equator, are not SO dis
tinctly defined. Horseback travelling in
the rain through an uninhabited district
would have been extremely uncomfortable,
so we were easily persuaded to remain in
camp until the skies cleared. l have
csmped in many climes under diverse cir
cumstances and picnlced with all sorts of
people, but have never enjoyed such real
camping out'' (the intended spirit of
which is a return to aboriginal life), as
here among one of the most war-like tribes
on the face of the earth, whose ancestors
for centuries successfully resisted civilized
arms and Spanish cruelties, and
maintained their independence intact,
while all the other nations of South and
Central America fell under the sway of
the conQuerors. The squaws insisted in
taking entire care of the animals, and
kept US plentifully supplied with cool
water from a distant spring and brush
wood for cooking purposes; and every
morning the carcass of a young sheep,
freshly killed and dressed, was brought as
gift from the chief. Knowing that money
was one of the least desirable things we
could give these kind-hearted barbarians
as they had no use for the currency of
civilization, we "got even" to their I'M
bounded delight, by presents of trinkets-
such as toilet articles, hand mirrors, but
tons cut from our clothes, sewing materials,
silk ties and handkerchiefs, etc. The
articles that appeared to give
MOST HEARTFELT PLEASURE
were a mouth-organ, jews-harp and an
accordion, which we purchased for the pur-
pose from the muleteers, my silver soap
case, (which the chief Immediately filled
with tobacco and hung around his neck by
a string, and rose colored, 5e-ribboned.
Jersey under vest, which thenceforth
served his highness' favorite daughther, a
child about twelve years old, as a costume
complete, reaching from shoulders to knees
and being the only garment she wore.
We noticed that when the storm first be-
gan, heralded by scurrying clouds and NUT
tering thunder, the Indians appeared to be
greatly excited, for they knew there was
going to be another great battle in the sky,
between their dead ancestors and the
Spaniards who had killed them. Believing
the thunder TO be the latters cry of fear
and distress, they turned out en- masse in
the pouring rain to cheer the wraths of
their warriors. When the storm began to
aoate they watched the skies with
the utmost anxiety, for they have
one sure sign by which to
know which side has won the ghostly bat
tie; if the clouds move toward the village
the Indians have been victorious; but if
they move from it, the Conquistadores
have won, and everybody Is sorrowful. In
this instance the clouds swept gloriously,
full phalanX, toward the town, and all were
happy. A feast was spread, to which we
were hidden, and dancing and singing (or
rather howling) was kept up all night.
may mention on PEASANT that we at
tended the feast for to remain away
would have been construed as show
ing sympathy with the defeated Span
iards and given deadly offense. Our
appetltes were not voracious, chicha-
-homo-chewed-of course flowed far more
abundantly than water, and stewed puppy
figured prominently among the delicacies.
Thanks, however, to the horde of living
CANNES that prowled around the squalling
circle, and to our awkwardness-
both real and simulated-we man
aged to dispose of all Objectionable
viands, unnoticed amid the general hilerity.
The worst time came with the ceremony of
drinking from those human skulls Hap
PLY, "squaws" of any color are exempt
from the horrible duty, the sex being too
Insignificant TO be allowed such familiarity
with the lords of Araucania. We saw the
gentlemen Of our party grow pale and
pRlor as those time-worn craniums an
preached, being handed from mouth to
mouth around the circle; but subsequently,
every one of them assured US that though
they lifted the skulls and pretended to
drink with gusto, their lips touched moth
ing. All the Araucanians are extremely
sdperstitious and attach a Specification tC
every dream, confidently looking for its
fultillment. The singing of certain bird
is regarded as
BAD OMEN, AND AUeURs DEATH.
The twitching OF the muscles of the left
arm also foretells death, and should it &C.
cur to an Araucenian when en- route to the
field Of battle, the whole army would turn
back. If one of them happens to see 9
fawn on the left side of path or trail, il
signifies sickness or ill-luck; but if the
animal stands on the right side, it means
long life, numerous friends and plenty to
eat. The Castinoes believe in the literal
resurrection of the body; that the dead
pass at once to the happy hunting grounds
IN the far west where the sun sleeps, and
there each happy Indian has large tract
of land and all the wild ANIMALS he can siay
and eat forever. When one Of that tribe
dies his fsvorite horse IS killed to accom-
pany him, and all his weapons, utensils
and trlnkets are buried with him, for
use in the Sunset Land. The friends
of the deceased put food on the grave every
night for weeks-and when foxes, wolves
and other wild creatures devour il durin 2
the hours of darkness, they believe tina,
the dead man has eaten il and is refreshed
on his long journey. The Llanisto are firm
believers in Cici-a mythical person who
takes the place OF the Christians Satan-s
real, living, walking and talking evil one
as when in the garden OF Eden he assumed
the form of serpent and conyersed with
Grandmother Eve It was Cici that caused
the ocean ct one time to rise over all the
earth; and the Indians prove it by shells
and the bones of marine animals, which
may be found high in the mountains. 1t is
Cici, too, who induces people