The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-06

enness and an occasional murder. Drunk
enness 10 not punished severely.
Tarahumara, Ike and admire civiliza,
Rrnment IL good because 1t protects them
This refers only to those who live near
towns Of civilized people. Those who live
In the heart OF the mountains do not know
any other rulers than their gobernadorcillo
and Captain General, and they believe
that all the country Is just like the country
- Property is highly respected among the
punished. Offenders Of ali kinds are tried
and sentenced by the gobernadorcillos,
who usually take advice from the Oldest
man Of the town. Marriages are also per-
formed BY the gobernadorcillo. but when
a man gets tired Of wife all he has to do,
says Pereyra, Is to drive her from the house
and to bring in another. Some marriages
however, arc performed by the Mexican
authorities. Tarahumaras usually marry
when still very young, between is and %
to marry woman he locates the hut, jacal
or cave where she lives with her family,
and drops his culver at the entrance. II
the girls parents come and pick it up, it
is Q sign that they approve the marriage;
II they do not, and the culver is left where
the suit i rejeeted. vsry often so% bow Saa,
when culver Is thrown away tho girl
follow. her lover. That is, they have a
sort Of elopement.
Tho Tarahumara women are treated by
their husbands in much the same manner
to treat bis squaw; They have all the hard
work to do, while the men loaf. They
shear the sheep and spin the wool to mako
thread and cloth or zarapes. They also cut
palms and make mats and petates.
All this Is done during the hours left free
By the .. meal getting Ss,d Tarahqmass
morning, milks the sheep and begins to
pound The corn for the tortillas, the atole
and tho pinole. At the same time she pre-
pares tho breakfast for her husband, who
sleeps later. Tho woman spends the rest
After the noon meal the women continue
their weaving or work in the fields until
dark.
Children, as soon as they can walk. are
taught to take care of the sheep. At the
Same time they begin to use the bow and
rabbits, squirrels, rats and reptiles for the
family consumption. Tarahumaras eat the
bodies OF snakes, and allege that it is as
good as young chicken.
Before q woman is married she IL tho
property Of her parents; when married,
her husband she is subject to death &C
oording to the laws Of the Tarahumaras.
Boys belong to their parents until they
are Is years old. After that they are men,
eligible under tribal laws to citizenship
The Tarahumara Indians believe that
There IL q God, but they have q very poor
idea of Him. Those who live near civilized
towns sometimes attend Catholic churches.
They have In their tribal religion q certain
mixture OF tho Catholic creed. They are
also highly superstitious.
Ono o. their solemn religious ceremonies
Is the blessing Of the first tezguino made in
the year, Immediately after the crop Of corn
tAnts Of . pueblo assembls In the plaza.
6lled with fresh tezguino and many enor-
nous pots to cook q COW that Is dedicated
to the occasion. The gobernadorcillo OF
the town appoints twelve .tenan CHS
who are to kilI the COW and cook it and to
offer the new tezglino to their God. When
the COW II slaughtered tho meat IL cut in
pieces and boiled In tho big pots. Then
the ~tenanchis' With vessels made Of the
peel Of oocoe, with great ceremony take q
measure Of the tezguino from each barrel.
Some Of the tezguino IL put In the pots
where the meat u boiling and the balance
b thrown high into the air for God to bless.
After that everybody partakes OF the mix
ture In tho pots. While some are eating,
others are dancing to the strains OF rude
violins and drums. Certain dancers have
, special suit Of brilliant colors; they are
called @matachinee."
The reeuit OF these ceremonies In that
al who take part get drunk. The fest
lasts for at least twenty -four hours without
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