The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-07


trdbally known as Mivtecos, Triquis. Ia
potecs and so on. They live in and about
Oaxaco. Mexico. Professor Starr made
fifteen measurements each Of LIPS individ-
uals, and secured thirty-five plaster casts
OF busts and faces OF these strange peo-
pie. of whom he gives the following &C
count;
These Mexican Indians whomm III ave
beens tudyingh ave two strangely mark
ed physical peculiarities. The great toe
is more widely separated from the others
than is common. In other similar cases
it has been suggested that this formation
IS due to the use of sandals fastened on
by thongs passing between the great toe
and the second. This cannot account for
the foot Of the Mexican Indian, however,
for the popularity is as strongly marked
in the women, who wear no shoes, except
in one tribe as in the men. The toes are
more like fingers; they work independ-
emily Of each other, especially the great
toe. In the one tribe whose women wear
shoes these are more like soft leather
mitts out of which the toes protrude so
that they can grasp and pick up a peb-
BILE or a stick.
They all have peculiar hands. Their
Their fingers care paired, the first and
second finger on each hand, and also the
third and fourth, being practically equal
in length. In a white mans hand the
length of the fingers varies greatly. The
last joint of the thumb is very short
Sometimes there is only room on 1t for
blunt thumbnail, running right TO the
joint itself. The fingernails of all the
tribes are strangely malformed, hing
short, thick, round and hard and curved
inward like the claws of an animal.
asked the Indians the reason for this and
they replied that working in cold wa
ter made their fingernails crooked. This
I do mot believe. Either the popularity is
the result of some obscure disease, as
am inclined to think. or it may constitute
an inherent characteristic of the strange
type, Further study will be made of this
point
did not expect to find the missing link
in Mexico. There is a man IN this coun-
try whom some would call by this name.
have long intended to get an X-ray
mentary tail, but the only X-ray photo
graphs yet taken of negroes have re-
suited seriously to the subjects. Pos
sibly the excess of pigment in the skin
may account for the serious burns they
receive from the X-ray light. But the
fact that there is man it'll a tail proves
nothing more than the peculiarities
have observed-no more than an excess of
hair or teeth of an unnatural number
and kind.
The nine tribes which I visited live
practically as they did before Columbus
made his first voyage. Though nominally
Christian, they still maintain the wOr-
ship Of their pagan gods.
Among the Zapotecs one finds women
in their natural supremacy. The women
among the American Indians were the
heads of families until the white man
came II you would meet a family Of "a
potecs in an ox-cart on the road and
should inquire Of them the wawy, it
would be the woman who would reply,
and she would give you a better answer
and be able to express herself more in
diligently than the man. If the man
should venture TO speak first he would
be promptly hushed up. In all the af-
fairs of the family the woman exercises
the ruling hand IF a man should appear
in the markets Of Tehuantepec he would
be promptly driven out. The men are
never allowed TO carry on the transac-
tons Of buying and selling in the mar
ke,s of the Zapotecs.
Their trade is barter, their clothing IS
for the man a breech clout and for the
woman a strip of cloth wound around
the waist The Juaves are fishermen;
they weawve nets, and hollow primitive
canoes out of logs. The other tribes till
the soil and barter with the Juaves for
fish and salt, which they scrape up.
crude and unrehned, from fats where
seawater evaporates. They hive bees,
which is unusual for primitive people.
They weave rought cloth and make pot
terry.
In all the tribes the three-house ar
rangement prevails. Every family has
its food hut made OF waited cane), is
eating hut IN which the sleeping IS also
done. and the god-house, in which the
images Of the rain-god. the bear-god and
used as the guest chamber, when any is
required.
I could hardly have chosen a worse
time for this trfp. Even in remote VII
lagos. the Mexican Indians have heard OF
the recent conquests Of the United
States; they know that the Mexican gov
eminent IS increasing its defenseS, and
they fear that the American wish 70 rule
over all less civilized people. This feeling
made Il hard 10 get measurements, and
especially 10 secure casts, though had
every assistance from the Mexican gov
eminent I had with me an expert model
Ter. besides Mexican attendants When
We wished 10 set cast We persuaded
the victim 70 lie down OF his back on a
mat while we moulded his face, chest
and neck with plaster. II this way We
secured chirty-five casts. which viii bs
arranged ii the museum Of the unive-s5-
y. The casts and measurements are sur
prising. The Mixtecos have rot il Their
veins a drop Of African blood, ard yec
they nave many facial characteristics q
the negro-the broad. fat nose. the thick.
protrud.ng lips. the wide. low skull. The
lowest types are quite rePulslve.
The Indians admit thar ca1n1oalisu1 ex-
isced among chem until recently have
no doubt that some OF the old ns1 saw
in TIE villages had eaten human flesh.
though none q them would admit T.
Mexico Is a country prolific IL human
anomalies Extra toes and fingers are
common: a-b.nos ard similar Irregular
-5a.s a~s common. 7 have sen a child
over q year cd who I believe should
have been another Siaalese twin There
Is ore well developed ohild. ouc Of whose
head grows a perfect leg ard arms Of a
send ehtls There IS nothlag tEsoA L