Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-26

touches the guard and draws blood from
the naked back of the little candidate
for Bechuana manhood. Again and
again the switch descends, but, always
after a question calculated to tell the
boy what some of his duties will be when
h. has become Il man.
viii you guard the head chief wcllF
is another question, and very inn
portant one, for the chief of the tribe
Is regarded as a sacred person, and in
battle The warriors are expected to guard
him with their own bodies.
At the end of each answer given by
the young Rechunnu The switch comes
down over the sandals lnd falls upon
his back without mercy. for the WELD
ers of 1t strike with all their might
You would think that the backs of
the boys would be cut into strips by
the switches. but they are not. The
naked out-of.door-lfe toughens their
skins and rcndcrs them almost as hard
as leather. sun the whip draws some
blood and this Is allowed TO dry on
their backs 80 that when they 80 back
TO the village they can show II to their
comrades and say with smile that
they are no longer boys but men. and
WIZ go out with the next m0raudiug force
aud light for Bcchuuna land
DIR. Livingston was the first traveller
TO give tie account of this ordeal, but
ne was not permitted to witness it In all
of its details. for the ceremonies luke
place outside of the village and the boys
never relate the incidents of the ordeal
10 their companions. They pride them
selves very much ON the scars made by
| the switches and are always ready 10
exhibit them 10 trayelers as proof that
| they are no longer boys. but men. war
/ florS, and that they can rightfully wear
/ the skins OF the leopurds they kill with
their poisoned arrows.
THE MUNDURUCU GLOVE DANCE.
South Of the Amazon Is to be found
! n race of people known as Mundurucus.
They inLabit one Of the most beautiful
! regions Of the world; q country filed
| with wonderful birds whose plumage can
not be described sufficiently to convey
an idea Of its gorgeousness. The Mum
duruens are warlike and need warriors
capable OF enduring torture without
showing signs of fear or pain. They
must have yonng braves who can go
out on long marches and take the heads
81 thelf enemies IN the very heart OF
The Mundurucus boy longs 20 become
man from the very first. He sees his
companions, one by one, join the ranks
OF the army after passing one of the
most terrible ordoQls known 10 man, IL
Is twice as terrible as that of the Bech-
9Rna boy but no young Mundurucu
shuns H.
When he is TO present himself as u
candidate for manhood the whole village
assemblies ON the banks of the nearest
stream ana makes ready for the cere-
mOny
In that part Of South America water
ga by the Amazon live ants whose bite
IS terrible and almost deadly. One spec
ies--a huge red ant-is as large as a
wasp, and its sting sets the blood on
hrei and there is a black ant called
munlri, which is as dread MS It's red
cousin, For "a manhood ordeal the two
kinds are captured and placed IN a pair
OF great bamboo tubes one end of which
r. covered. These tubes look somewhat
IKE mittens, and when on reach almost
TO a boys elbow.
As the young Mundurucus is brought
forward, the bamboo gloves are handed
to Linz and into them he thrusts bis
naked arm, while the assembly strikes
up a wild native song accompanying the
notes with the drum With the lad al
their head, the crowd and the drummer,
proceed back 10 TIE village and make
the rounds amid the applause Of ia,
people, the wearer Of the gloves singing
at the top of his voice, TO all appear
ance obliylous to the bites Of the terripls
ants and seeming to enjoy the sport
| NeNnilme the insects are singing lh'
boys arm IN O thousand places. His yeil
A'sod y " hfo ~ il eourses thrvAzh 90