Evening star., 1898-10-08


at the time of my visit to her was Herr
Otto Kehren, a German connected with
Don Augustine BalZa. the inspector gem
eral of colonization of Chile who was also
of our party. Herr kehren Is one of the
finest looking and best formed men / have
ever met. He is over six feet tall and he
weighs 80 pounds. l stood him up beside
the little at-grandmother-in-laW and
made photograph of the two. The con-
trast was that of giant and pigmy of old
age and youth, of life and death of dry
bones and rosy flesh. The fact that size
and conditions have little to do with Ion
gevlty seemed to me apparent as / looked
at this dried-up centenarian. She was
small at her birth and she had lived more
than a century and quarter in squalid
hut. half fed and poorly clad She was.
when / saw her, dressed only in a ragged
navy blue blanket, which was fastened by
pin of silver over her skinny breast bone
Her lean, shriveled arms were bare to the
shoulder, and her wrinkled legs We're naked
to the middle of the calf. She was deaf
and blind. Her eyes We're grown over by
what seemed TO me like two little RED but
tons of flesh and her face was corrugated
with lines like a withered apple She was
led out of the hut by one of her great
grandchildren. a little Indian maiden of
eighteen, and the contrast between eigh-
teen and 13D was striking in the extreme
l was told that the old woman still had the
use ol her mental faculties and that she
was able to do much of the spinning for
the family Her great Observation-Disclosures
law seemed proud of her, and they smiled
and were grateful for the money we gave
her.
Some Dainty Indian Dishes
In this hut, as 1 have said, there were
two Araucanian women cooking. Their
utsasils were several iron pots and they
had neither ovens nor stoves The fires
were built in holes in the ground inside
the hut and the smoke was so thick that
/ fol =
pushed my way through it The women
were roasting potatoes and green corn in
the Goals, and / am told they make steWs
OF Varr"'ls kinds. Much of their food is
eaten raw and this is at times with
both meal and meat. Raw mutton and
beef cut up in small pieces is one of the
chleI dlsnes OF an AraUcanian feast. Red
pepper Is useA as an appetizer and raw
alcohol is drunk between the courses.
These Araucanians have queer customs
of love and marriage. a father always ex-
poets to get "A certain price for his daugh-
Ter III the shape of cattle, sheep horses
or other presents, and the deal is made be-
fcrehapd, the groom paying as little as he
can. The young man then comes with mis-
friends to the house of his to be fatnar-in-
law and kidnaps his bride. a dark night
Is usually selected but the time is often
known. and the girl has her female friends
with her foI the occasion. l. is a matter
OF "eGdlng etiquette that she should fight
against being married, anG all the females
anu women or the family join with her in
repeinhg the groom. the friends of the
groom help him, and there is a lively
sklrmish IN the brides home which ends
IN hcr being dragged out by her future
husband He swings her onto his horse
ana goes off on the gallop, making for the
nearest wood. The women pursue but
the groom of course soon distances
them- Having reached the forest he
takes his lady love with him into
its recesSes and there spends the honey
moon. This lasts but a few Gays. wi,ea
the two return to the house of the groom
ana are considered married. Then the hus-
Dand takes the presents. as he had agreed
10 the father or his wife and the ceremony
Is over III later on the husband wishes a
diNorce, he may, under certain conditions
send back his wife to her father and If
she proves unfaithful TO him he has the
fISnt to Kill her. If she deserts him and
goes back home OF her own accord nothing
Is said, but If she should marry again the
second husband must reimburse the first
one Tor the price ne originally paid to her
father for her.
Queer Customs of Birth and Death.
The Araucanians tie their papooses on
boards and carry them upon their backs.
much as our squaws do, The babies are tied
TO the carrying board as soon as they are
born and are kept fastened there until
they are old enough to be taught to walk.
They are bright-eyed, healthy-looking chill
dren and they stand treatment that would
Kill an American baby. Take the birth. for
instance. When an Araucanian baby is,
expected Its mother goes alone into the