The evening times., 1898-11-23
TIMID INDIANS.
\ Singular Tribe of Red Men I'm
HnnIuraS
fFrom the St. Louis Globe

tFrom the ST. Louis Globe Deinotrat.)
The history of the various Indian tribes
of Central America has never been and
probably never will be written. Before
the march of the armorclad Spaniard the
native tribes faded away as the mist be-
fore the sun. Gradually, but surely these
races have been assimilated, until nearly
all are united to form that most ho-
mogeneous of beings the Central Ameri-
can native. in whose veins doubtless
flows the blood of the Chichimecs, the
Calhuaus. Nahuas, Tiascalans, Olmecs,
Toltecs, Aztecs, and of Spain.
Occasionally, but rarely tribes have
been discovered of such types as to lead
to the belief that in their cases no such
amalgamation has taken place and the
preservation Of a strange tongue, of hab-
its, and traits renders this entirely proba-
BILE. a singular tribe now inhabiting the
interior of Honduras, near the north
shore, known to native Hondurans as Hi
coQues, inhabits a few small villages
widely separated, the largest of which
is not far from villa Nueva, on the AS
tor-Honduras Railway. From this place
the trail is UP the mountains to Ell
Venado, about $500 feet above the sea
The Indian village is built upon the point
of the highest peak in the mountain
chain and consists of less than dozen
miserable huts.
1t is the custom with the Hicoques upon
the approach of strangers for the entire
village to stampede to the woods This ex-
ceSSiVe timidity makes it a matter of
great difficulty to obtain accurate infor-
nation regarding their social customs or
their home life. 1t is known that they
differ in almost every way from the
other people of the country. The Hico-
ques are small and squat, with high
cheek bones, broad thin lips. and have
large mouths with prominent teeth They
have straight black hair, worn long and
braided The men wear no clothes save
small breech clout, generally woven from
some native plant. The Hicoques' food
consists generally of wild game and roots,
though they occasionally have a few
pigs, and sometimes cultivate small
patch of corn. The latter, only happens
when they have lived unmolested for a
long time in one place. The men are quite
skilful with bow and arrows, and with
these weapons obtain most of the meat
eaten by the family.
The marriage ceremony is unknown
among them. The selection of a bride
having been made, the woman walks
over and takes possession of her new
home and the man gets out trit1e ear
lier in order to procure food for two.
Polygamy is not practiced, but the inter-
marrying is carried to a dangerously
close point, and has doubtless had much
to do with the Indians imperfect devel-
opment. The same causeshas retarded
their growth in intelligence and their in
crease in numbers. ~ a
1t is not believed that these Indians
have any particular form of religious
worship, but they are full eof superstition,
which leads them into doing many pc
culiar things. For instance; when sick,
ness overtakes one of them, the invalid
is provided with food sufficient for three
or four days, and is thens leftHto fight it
out alone as best he can,i the balance of
the family retiring to some other house.
Another singular trait sleheir supersti-
ton in regard to expectoration within
their houses. Should a stranger enter
one of their houses and go korget him
self as to spit upon the floor; Nb Hicoques
would ever enter 1t againpEs