The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-03-24
IN SOUTHERN CHILL,
STRANGE CUSTOMS OF 4
 STRANGE LAND.

Especial Correspondence of the Journal
 and Courier)
 Corral, Chili, Feb. 3. 1904
 On the third day of our detention in the Llaniase territory the swollen, bridgeless stream still keeping us pris- oners. We were honored by an invitation to attend 8 house-warming on the nor row-which in Araucania is made the occasion of prolonged festivities. We were informed that a grand feast would be the especial feature of each days doings, and that every guest was expected to contribute thereto some thing edible or drinkable
 What do you suppose was our contri- button? In this case necessity was in- deed the mother of invention,'' and we sacrificed to the emergency our last sack of self-raising flour. baked into large griddle-eakes. These, when cold, were spread with a thin coating of canned peach jam, and piled one above another in huge heaps. It kept the cook busy all the rest of the day, assis- ] ted by the ladies of the party; but the impromptu dish was pronounced suc- cess and we afterwards learned that the Indians looked upon it as the white mans staple article of food. Early the 1 next morning the great chief came in I person to escort the men of our party to the distant clearing, where the new i dwelling was to be erected. and as a mark of special condescension we ''squaws" were permitted to follow in the rear. So gorgeously was his greasy highness gotten up for the occasion that It may truly be said even Solomon in all his glory was never so arrayed. He wore the yellow leggins and double crimson bed-blanket lately presented to him by our leader, with my silver. soap- case hung around his neck by a blue ribbon, where it rattled against ripple rows of teeth. human and animal; while his bushy hair, in which strips of red flannel were braided, was crowned by a tiara of brilliant feathers and garnished 1 with long strips of birds bones. Far in the respectful distance trotted his pigeon-toed wives, bearing his beloved pipe, guanaco robes for him to sit upon, and his choicest heritage, the time worn skulls that serve for drinking yes Isels, without which no feast would be complete,
 Arrived at the spot, we found the vil- lagers already assembled, and every dusky face wore look of the most per- feet happiness ever beheld on human l countenance. At one side, where the squaws were mostly collected, we no- ticed several young sheep, yet living, lying bound among scores of chicha- I hor Oe a new guests arrived, additions were made to the store. Presently some squaws began digging holes in the ground close by. Two young women seized one of the bound sheep stretched it across a log, and while one held it. the other turned over its head and ran knife into the large vein be- hind its ear. It soon bled to death, and all the blood was carefully saved for pudding. The mems part of the days labor consisted entirely in eating, drinking and giving orders. When the squaws had dug the holes and sprinkled in each few drops of sheep's blood, lchicha-pots were circulated and all drank freely. An hour afterwards lchicha ad lihitum in the interval-some posts, tall enough to form the four cor Iners of the house. were planted by the women in the holes. By the way, is it lnot strange that these Indians consider the blood of q lamb as a sacrifice to their gods? Whenever they go to war la lamb is killed and it's blood sprinkled lupon the arms of the warriors. When they make treaty of peace the slain lamb is again brought into requisition. Each of the covenanting party drinks a little of the blood and eats a bit of the raw flesh to prove that what has been sealed by the blood of innocense cannot be broken.
 After another hour or more of home- chewed cthicha and cheerful conversa- tion, cross-pieces were firmly bound to the posts with thongs of raw-hide, and the raising for that day was completed.
 The interpreter told us that it would lrequire not less than week to finish the house. The next day they would weave in the smaller poles for the walls. Ion another day they would put up the lrafters and so on, nursing the job as long as possible because time, being made for slaves" is no object to these Independent Araueanians About noon Ithe squaws announced that the banquet was ready. The green sward served for a festive board, and the men seated themselves contentedly upon it in a wide circle under the shadow of the ltrees, while the women who were not lengaged in waiting upon them, re- mained fasting, dutifully willing to par take, hours later, of whatever crumbs their lords might leave for the dogs and them. First, some raw clans were brought in huge wooden troughs, and on top of each trough was placed one big red pepper. Every Indian in turn took a few clans, and the peppers were passed from lip to lip each one sucking lit and handing it on 10 his neghbor This preliminary ceremony was in to- ken of lasting friendship-and very warm such love must be, judging from the etars that sprang to every eye
 When the clans had been devoured
 chicha jars circulated freely, passed from mouth to mouth in the most Ichummy manner. Then came kettles of cooked corn, steaming hot; then more chicha. Then quantities of raw mutton
 cut in small chunks and piled on wood-
 en trays. Then ears of roasted corn; and last, but by no means least, oul own contribution of cold, jam-be-
 smeared pancakes, whose sticky sweet mess so pleased the chief that he at once