El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-27
FRANK G.. CARPENTERS LETTER.

ease. They believed the whole world
was flat and that their islands were it.
They believed this world was balanced
on top of very tall tree, which at the
last day will be loeSened by an earth
quake. When that comes to pass they
believe that the living and dead viii
change places and that the angels and
devils viii keep shaking the tree and
thus prevent mankind from going up
the bamboo ladder which connects it
with heaven.
They think also that the devil dwells
IN the sea and feeds upon the bodies of
those who are drowned. He has sub
marine boats and carries q net to cap
tnre al mankind vino fall into the
water.
India's Roof Dwellers.
Some of the strangest of these wild
people live in the upper Himalayas.
Those mighty mountains are spotted
with nOn-Aryan tribes, whose ancestors
were thrust back by our ancestors over
5000 years ago, but who still exist,
notwithstanding. There are hill men in
Assam who have no method of telling
distances. but measure the length of a
journey by the amount of bete leaf
they can chew on the way There are
tribes who paint their faces like our in
dams, and many who tattoo and deform
themselves in various ways. The Nagas
stretch the lobes of the ear and pierce
it in such a way that it forms a ring
OF flesh three or four inches in dame
ter. They also split the ear 50 that it
looks like a great lump of flesh.
These Nagas are found in the same
district as the savages of which Mr..
Robertson speaks. They inhabit the
country east of the Assam valley They
are MongOls and number in all about
162, 600. The largest of their tribes is
the Angami. who have lately come I'M
der British subsection. The Angami be-
leve they were the first people on earth.
and say that they sDrang from the dew
They call the earth their only master
and worship it. Their homes are VII
lagos surrounded by stockades and
guarded by thorn bushes and nettles.
They come into them through sunken
paths, the entrances being protected by
doors. Each tribe has its chief. and the
people have a blood brotherhood. like
some of the African tribes
Another of the Maya divisions is
known as the Aos These people were
once notorious Shareholders. and they
sacrificed the slaves which they caught
IN war Another is the Sornas, who.
until recently were head hunters and
did not scruple TO entertain guests and
slay them when off guard.
Bachelors Halls and Maidens' Apart
nents.
| am told that the Nagas have great
buildings for the bachelors or Young
men of the tribes, corresponding some
what TO the mems quarters in New
Guinea, and also TO the young peoples
halls among the Nasal of central Africa.
Enn-o--o1%
hunting. In New Guinea. all the mel,
of one tribe live in such quarters. and
their wives bring them their food In
Masailand the girls and young warriors
have a common house to themselves
Among the NagaS and other tribes on
the hills OF Bengal, the young mems hail
rs erected on a platform, and the girls
house is nearby. The men sleep in
beTths and in the girls house there are
always two Or three maidens sleepin0
together. In addition there is some
times an old woman as chaperon | am
told she is often half blind and spends
but little time on her job
Women With More Than One Husband.
POlygamy is common throughout most
parts of India. There are something like
60.O0O.O00 Mohammedans. who by their
religion have the right to four wives. and
there are 20,000.000 HindoOs. each on
whom has as many wives and slave girls
as he can support
High up in the Himalavas the reverse
Is the case. The Bhotivas. some OF
whom I saw during nv trip through the
mountains, practice polygandry: that is,
one woman will have several husbands.
This is so with the Thibetans ana
Others of the far north. and sometimes
with the Jats of the Punab and the
Santals OF Bengal. 1t is still common
along the whole Himalayan range from
Assam TO kashmir. and also among the
TOdas of the Nigiri hills
Such marriages aresoften a matter OF
bargain and sale. If there is a pretty
girl in the family and a man falls in
love with her he paws so much to her
parents. and possibly comes into the
house as her husband. After time a
second lover NAV appear. and without
the first husband can offer large sum
to secure exclusive possession he paws
his price and Joins the circle I am told
that it is entirely a, question of money,
and that the man who can afford it can
have a wife TO himself. In such mar
riages the children are looked uDon as
belonging to the women and their faith
ers can Law no claim to them
In the Nilgiri Hills
In southern India there are MAN.
strange tribes. In the Nilgiri hills. a
great plateau, over a mile high. not far
from Madras, there are aborigines who