Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-11-24

years past been carrying on researches
co in the interest of the American
Museum 81 Natural History in New
York, has made surprising and note.
wcrthy ethnological discovery.
Has he really found a new race OF
people?
In narrow defle in the Sierra
Madre Mountains, hemmed in by steep
and towering cliffs 5000 feet high, al
most inaccessible. he discovered
band of strange and primitive people,
known as the Huichols, who are today
living in the same state Of barbarism
as when the Spanish conqueror, Cor
tez, first put his foot on Mexican soil.
Although in handshaking distance Of
their progressive and modern neigh
bors, the Mexicans, they still live the
life and hold to the ancient customs
and beliefs of their ancestors of thou
sands of years ago.
The commonest articles of ciyilza-
ticn they do not poss ess-fre today is
made by rubbing together flint and
steel, lit by a piece Of fungus from
the oak tree. Corn, their main source
Of food, is planted by thrusting a
pointed stick in the ground. History
of their origin and tribal record they
have ncne. All that is left is tradi-
ton and wonderful symbolism, far
removed from that possessed by aay
other MeXiC an tribe OF tie present time
They possess crude art end one OF
their remarkable legends is that OF
the Ark, thought to be as old if not
older than that of our Biblical nara
tive
First Waite Man Among Them.
Mr.. Lumholtz was the first white
man and scientist who ever penetrat-
ed into the land of this hermit race
and remained among them. He live 4
with them for year and succeeded III
making friends with the leading Sha
man and officer of the tribe, fr@-..
valuable information and ut in
teresting collection of their various
symbolic objects.
These add new ana most signiti-
cant chapter to the study Of primitive
man on the American continent.
The general description of the new
ly discovered race by the explorer,
together with illustrations from his
photographs, are here presented for
the first time. The originals are now
on exhibition in the Museum of Natur-
al history in New York.
The tribe of the Huichols number
about 1000.
Taeir territory occupies a deep ra-
vine or valley some forty miles long
by twenty-five wide in the Sierra Ma
Dire range, in the state CT Jalisco.
They are of medium height. with skin
of light reddish brown. The dress
of the men consists mainly of shirt
made of cheap cotton cloth; the wo-
men wear a skirt and short tunic OF
the same material and cowhide san
dals. They live in circular houses
made of loose stones and mud and GOV
cred with thatched roofs Religion to
the Huichols is personal matter,
not an institution; therefore their
lives from the cradle to the grave are
wrapped in symbalism. They have an
innumerable number of gods. The
gods are implored naturally for ma
terial benefits only. The moving prin-
ciple in the religion of the Huichols
is the desire of producing rain, where.
by they can raise corn, their princi-
pal food.
Water first and water last is the con-
sideration of all ceremonies. They
offer to their gods remarkable symbol
ic objects. They are the embodiment
Of prayers, and are found mainly in
the god houses and sacred caves.
These offerings lose their potency aft
er five years, after which they arc
thrown out and new ones put in their
place. z
OF extraordinary interest among the
objects collected is one representing
an ark. The legend Connected with il
is remarkable from the fact that there
has been no Bible ncr priest among
them for centuries, as they have
forcibly resisted the intrusion of mis-
sionaries at all times. The Ark was
taken from one Of the god-houses and
deposited on the waters of a small
lake as the extreme means of getting
rain as the Ark ALWAYS traditiOnally