The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-02

tribe calls to see me on some business;
or vice versa. We have only q few Nav
ajo children in this School, the great
majority being of the Moqui tribe.
The Navajos are much more fierce
tribe than the Moquis and nearly all
OF them own horses and are fearless,
graceful riders.
The Navajo man is generally lord
and master of two or more wlvesi one
he takes with him on his excursions
around the country while the other or
others are left at home to weave, tend
the locks or herds, or cultivate the
corn, as occasion requires.
The women are the weavers of the
celebrated Navajo blankets and rugs.
The Moqui has but one wife at a
time, though they have very easy
way of becoming divorced, but it
seems that the woman plays a more
conspicuous part in matter OF that
kind than the man. When she de-
cides that separation from her hus-
band is desirab e, with view to FORM
| idg another alliance, she simply puts
his things outside the door some day
while be is away and when he returns
he knows he has to seek other quar-
ters and he does it. The husband al
ways goes to live with the wife's peo-
pie and the mother-in-law is as fire.
quently the cause of trouble between
the husband and wife as is the case
with the more civilized whites.
There is a superstition among the
Navajo tribe that il a man looks at his
mother-in-law he is liable to 90 blind,
and to avoid this it is said that they
often have to run and dodge about to
keep from meeting the old woman.
OF course this often puts the poor
fellow to great inconvenience, and to
obviate it he simply marries her and
then he has no mother-in-law.
Our second picnic was at or near the
ruins of an Indian village, some twelve
miles away, which tradition says was
destroyed about two hundred years
ago by another tribe of Indians, who
were envious of the prosperity of its
inhabitants. The men were all killed ,
and after burning and utterly destroy
ling the village, the women and chill
dren were all carried off as prisoners
of war. 1t was very interesting going
over the ruins and although it has
been such a great length of time since
the reputed destruction of the village,
there are still to be found great guam
titles Of broken pottery and other In
dian relics scattered all around. d..
We came across parts Of ears of In
dian corn having the appearance of
having been burned, only a. foot or so
beneath the surface; also, human
bones and pieces of turquois. l can't
understand how these things could
have been preserved for such length
of time, and so near the surface too,
unless it be owing to the fact that there
is so little rain here.
Turquois and garnet are found quite
plentiful in some parts of this terri
tory. The turquois is highly priced
by the Indians, particularly by the
Navajos, nearly every one of whom
wears piece from the size of the end
of the finger to that of silver quarter
dangling from as tring run through the
lobe of the ear. One of the larger size
they rate at the value of twenty head
of sheep. Both the Moquis and the
Navajos are fond of silver jewelry and
among them are some very fine silver
smiths. particularly the NavsJos.
They make belts for the men of leather
covered with large carved silver disks
somewhat in the shape of the shields
represented as being held by the an
clients in the left hand to ward off a
blow. Necklaces Of large silver balls
or beads of the size of the fingers end
with a pendant, somewhat like the
shape of two JEWS harps of different
sizes put together would appear, are
worn, by the women. In addition to
this they often wear bracelets COM
posed of three or four different sized
silver bands, carved in variety OF
styles.
The necklaces and belts, however,
are not worn as a general thing, but
seem to be treated as heir-looms in a
family and are worn by the different
members alternately, and then only
on high dress parade occasions.
Every school girl wears bracelets,
but The men are more given to wear
ing jewelry than the women.
The Navajo men often present quite
picturesque appearances with their
red velvet shirts. corduroy pants, neck
lace, belt, and some times immense
hoop ear rings, and often with their
horses bride laden with several
pounds of silver ornaments. They
will pay almost any price for a nice
shirt, as they usually get good pay for
their blankets.
The post trader always has on hand
velvet goods worth from dollar and
a half to two dollars yard, which he
sells 10 the Indian dudes. but fancy
furniture-calico is the material COM
monty used for making shirts, pants
and dresses, with both the Moquis and
the Navajos.
MISS MARY E. HILL.
TO BE CONTINUED.