New-York tribune., 1903-01-17


ern part of Mexico. the region Of the sierra
,rosra 5a, Norte were first prompted by the
desire 70 discover whether there might not re-
main among the secluded Indian tribes some
descendants Of the old race of cliff dweliers WIN
have left their traces in the well known ruins
in our own Southwest. In his hrst eNpeui'ioi-
inro the States Of Sonora and Chihuahua III 'he
winter of 1890 he came upon ruins OF terraces
fortifcations and caves. some of whlch hau eNi
de,5tlv been used dwellings and othets s
hurial places. In 1891. after an interruption III
The work of exploration. he came upon CAVE
dwellers among the Tarahumare Inola1s anu
5ishanding his party remained TO study theIi
.loy,a ,,nril the summer of 1898 These people,
he found did not give evidence OF the clNlilzd-
ton which is attested by the remains OF 'ne an
cient cliff dweliers in the Southwestern S'a'es
and Northern Mexico. differing from theih III
their unsociabls. ungregarious ana more ROWING
hah bits and showing no suggestion OF the oiuei
skin in their arts and industries. He makes
decided denial of the existence OF any relduoh
between these two people on the basis OF the
evidence collected But. though this quasheo
tbe surrnise with which these explorations were
hegun il did not by any means decrease the
interest or lessen the value of further STUDY
cave dwellers of the simpler sort are still to
be found unless we are mistaken "lIhlh 'iie
United States among the Yavasupai lnolans Al
the remote branches of the COLORADO Canyon
Fsut the Tarahunare Indians have been almost
unknown, they occupy territory stre'chlis
over two hundred miles, from the neighoorhooo
of Tenosa chic south to Guadalupe Calvo' and
from fifty 20 one hundred and hfty hliles ~
width and .here are still some twenty-five thou
s,n6 Of them left Returning to his single hanoeo
exnlorstion. in March, 1894, DIR. Lumholtz re-
r7ained among these people for a year anu
half in all. and then passing south visited inc
extensive tribe of Tepehuanes. spent ten iloIi'Hs
among the Coras and Ruichols. AND theh' heo1
ing the city of Mexico. made further stuoS
&c the Tarascos In 1898 he returned to the
Tarahumares and the Huchols for four months'
Going among the Indians unaccompanieo' ne
v-as able TO gain their confidence, whlch Is ho
easy task in the face of their dlstrust OF the
,-,;+e man and their especial and even rehglous
,orror of one who came for photographs ana
slu1ls who dug in their mounds ana uooh Hote~
in season and out. The habits, conditions uia-
lacts music and customs Of the exlsuhs lhnoDi
rarts the archseolc%;'h remains anu 'i
,lan+s animals and birds Of the region were an
carefully observed and noted Cohectons VI
,o;,,,are were sent home and complete
record was kept Of meteoroioglcal opsei a.ioN9
1,roro time TO tine the results were puphsheo
=, bulletins of the American Geographlcal 0'
-. o-,d If the American Museum OF Nalurdl
4I;e+o-1- under whose auspices the eHpeoltloii'
,,-aye made and in other periodicals Oh 'hi'
oo,,nrrr and Europe. In these two NoluiiieS "
now have a comprehensive digest OF nNe yeai'
Of remarkable work presented WIN care anu ~
tail 10 the untechnical reader 49,
Tho rTarahumares live for the most par oi -
pieblards where though the winter IL nv
80 80 sometimes induces change to the
barranca, the rainfall can De oepeliu I-oates+
,-;+b greater certainty. Rain is OF the gIea.es,
;r tho sierra SO that the products OF the SUI
,,eco,,a their main supply. Corn Is cuiI'o'e0
generally The Father Sun and Mother Nio01
must be propitiated In time OK orou'h ny @
curious ceremonial form of dance leo py d SIG
ing shaman or medicine man, ana cohliiiueu =!
the community for night or two Inc iu'. '-'
s,,rposed to have been taught by the 'ui he' >
and the yurnari G less serious dance atHiou'eu
- +ba invention of the deer, are the most I'M
1,ortant forms. They may be undertaken al inc
instance of the shaman, or on advice from
,,.igbborire community that TITO Dios mas sls-
-,,7aa ++a+ q drouth can be warded off only py
eaorifces and dancing. Another religious cefe-
,7,onv which enters largely into the life OF 1he
rrarahur7ares is the worship OF species Oh siiii
cactj which they call hikuh, and WINCH "iie
eaten. especially after fast, produces STATE VI
ecstasv The Huichols further south, nave liie
same cult though their worship is more elt-po
ate Hikuli is powerful prolecCoi aiiu '4-e
1, in games and hunting; is safeguard
sinst sorcery and is invested with highiy
verenc4d personality. The plant is not IN
;oenous and can be had only the distant
,,la+aaus Of Eastern Chihuahua The pilgrim
Marty of hikuli hunters consume about month
on their sacred expedition On their return d
religious dance is undertaken, accompanied ps
tie shaman's singing and rasping on eoufu
with a notched stick Hikuli has to be renewed
a+ least every four years. In some parts or the
country the sharnan draws a figure in the sano
near the gourd which so resembles ancient rltu-
alistic potrographs found in Arizona as TO leao
Dr. Lunahotz in this instance to acknowledge
a relation with the older civilization
In marriage customs the Tarahumares assign
the privilege of choice TO the woman, whlch sne
signifies by dancing before the man of her fancy
AT a feast Afterward she VIII be sent to the
ycung mans home, where their courtshp con-
sists IN two or three days of bashful silence
ending in the womans throwing pebbles play
fully. If the young man does not fancy his ad-
rnirer he need not return them If he throws
them hack. they enter on period of protracted
and successive family feasts. characterized oy
,nuc, speechrnaking and drinking of tesvino.
Among the Christian Tarahumares this rite is
supplemented by the PADRES services whenever
he may happen TO make one of his infrequent
visits.
The shamans are physicians as well priests.
and though the Tarahumares remarkably
healthy they are constantly invoking medical
aid Disease is thought to be the result OF the
wind or sorcery. In the latter case some animal
has been introduced into the system The
sharnan usually places a sucking tube against
the afflicted part and produces few small
stones or grains TO the relief of the suf-