The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-06-23

as trophies Of var | have seen many
of these heads during my travels and
have made photographs Of them. ]
vas once offered a head for S100 in
gold. but refused it for fear that the
ghost of the dead man might haunt
me for the rest Of my life. This
head was about as big as my fist. The
bones Of the skull had been removed
and the skin SO carefully
that bone of the features was lost.
The skin Of the face was black and
the long hair which hung down from
the skull was of the same raven hue.
The nose was almost negroid in shape
and the lips were SeWed together with
long cotton strands that hung dow
like a macrame fringe.
Mr.. Taylor told me the story of how
these heads are cured. as he got it
from the natives. He says it is a dry
ing process. After killing an Ia
they cut his head off close to the
shoulders, and as soon as they reach
camp they open it and take cut the
bones of the skull. The skin of the
head is then seWed together from the
crown to the base of the neck. 1t is
now a kind Of bag. This is filled with
hot sand, but is kept as far as pos
sible in its original shape. 1t IS press
ed inward during the drying the sand
being changed from time to time. until
the head is reduced to one fourth or
one-ffth the original size. Before be-
ginning the curing. the skin is painted
with the juice Of the huito, a fruit
that looks much like an aguacate
pear. This juice is a leather pre-
server. 1t is smeared yer the head
inside and out. AS the head grows
smaller q stone of the a pc of a small
skull is inserted and the skin is work
ed down upon it. This stone regulates
the size of the head when it is cured.
II * niya nht hof1ro @hn cIir ha.
crown too hard, but after its features
are fixed. The head is then hung up
over the fireplace and ailowed to cure
in the smoke.
Mr.. Taylor describes the Jivaro IN
dams as a we'll made, good looking
people. He says they are polygamists,
some of them having seven or eight
wives. They multiply rapidly, but the
population is kept down by feuds,
during which one family will lay for
another and shoot any of its mem
bers on sight. In order to be ready
to defend themselves they sleep in a
sitting posture, each brave having his
spear between his knees. While visit
ing one tribe Mr.. Taylor saw three
Jivaros who had just come in from
the hunt. They were thin and gaunt
They described a raid hat had just
been made on their family, during
which all had been killed but them.
selves. Mr.. Taylor took a canoe and
went with a priest to the place of the
killing. There were women and chill
dren and old men lying on the ground
The heads of all had been cut off, anC
the captors were probably curing then
as | have described.
Another interesting thing abou
the indian Of the upper Amazon
said Mr.. Taylor, lis their use of
blowgun and the poisoned arrow. This
is common among most of the tribes
between the NapO and the Maranon
Their guns are long tubes just larg,
enough around for the arrows. which
are wrapped with cotton at the end
to make them fit close. The arrow
are small. not more han d foot or
foot and a half in length. and no
much thicker than a wooden tooth
pick. The poison is SO deadly tina
will kill almost anything that the ar
row goes into. 1t ONE from Brazil
The Indians can send these arrow
from forty to fifty feet at a shot. an,
they can hit a monkey or a bird in
high tree. For their fighting they us
spears much like those of the knight
of the middle ages. There is a Spar
,, lard who makes these spears an
: sells them to the dia for rubbe,
1 oINo liz SptaI
, with a venom which they make fror
, a certain plant mixed with the iuic
, from dead bodies in a state of putre
factlon. The poison is put up j
. earthenWare jars, or in joints Of ban
BOO, and it forms an article of con
< merce among the Indians. It is ais
\ used on the arrows, and that for tn
killing of game. 1t does not iniu,
{ the meat
The JivarO ndian are superstition
Q Ihey have witch doctors, who make
[ drink called hiahuasa from the 70,
d and leaves of a shrub, boiled into
tea. This stuff is something lii
i opium. and it makes one see yisio,
e and dream dreams. Mr.. TaylOr trit
e it. Shortly after he had drunk, 500
n came in front Of his eyes, and a lit
,r later on he saw pictures Of sain,
TT The witch doctors old him to conce
lie trate his mind or his family. He d
lie SO and saw snakes. but a little lat
20 MS FAMILY actually appeared befo
5. MS minds eye. and that far more re
I'd than in any dream he had ever e
perienced.
eS Another most interesting man wi
60 | whom l haua H. L~.t -.