Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-28
DIR. FARABEE'S SEARCH
ADDS ODD SPECIMENS
TOU. OF P. COLLECTION
Explorer Brings Back Marvellous
Thin Blown Vases and Neck
laces of Human Teeth From
South America
STORIES OF ANCIENT RITES

Rites. customs and conventions which
make civilized people quake have been un-
earthed for the first time in 30 hitherto un.
known tribes of the Amazon basin by DR..
William G. Farabee, of the University of
Pennsylvania. who for the past three years
has been living among them. Doctor Fara-
bee has been there making collections or
chronological material for the University
Museum.
Doctor Farabee discovered these tribes
and has brought back pictures and stories
about them which seem almost beyond COM
prehension. He is tired from the exhaus-
tive work and at present is resting In the
mountains upstate before undertaking the
work of classifying his collection and max
ing out his reports of the expedition. Ihe
reports will consist OF many volumes and
1t will take several years for completion.
SOME OF THE CURIos.
Hundreds of visitors to the University
Museum in the past months have noticed
the enormous pottery Jars which Doctor
Farabee sent from the upper Amazon
These Jars are the high point of artistic
achievement of the Conebo Indians OF
Peru No one else can make Jars such
as they make. Some of the Jars which are
large enough to hold several gallons or
liquid have walls so thin that no one can
understand how they hold the liquid. The
manufacture of the material is secret
all their own, which they guard jealousiy
Some or the Smaller Jars HaNe "'ii' y"
thin as paper Making pottery OF this sort
Is the only art which the Conebo lndlahs
possess.
Many have been the guesses at what the
lars signify but II remained for Doctor
Farabee to solve the mystery upon ms
return. They are the hope chests OF the
Conebo girls the dowry box, as 1t were.
The lars are made for each girl as she
reaches the marriageable age which In that
tribe is about 12 years. without the Jar
she is never supposed or expected TO take
a-husband
PECULIAR RITES,
But before she is eligible for marriage
there must be certain peculiar rites. One OF
them consists of horrible orgy following
a drunken debauch. The drink on this occa-
sion is a concoction which most clNlllzeu
people would shun. The women or the
tribe chew leaves Of a native plant ana
spt the cud into a huge trough. over TINS
''nnush'' is poured water. Fermentation
takes place, which results in very heady
beer. When the fermentation is completed
the girl is ready for her coming-out party:
Then she must get 'tipsy" That is part OF
the rite. After that horrible ceremonies
are performed and then she is ready for
proposaIs. The jar which plays the impor-
tant part of holding the liquor at her COM
ing-out party is one of the most important
articles of her housekeeping outht,
Among the most gruesome OF the tales
which Doctor Farabee brings back with
him from South America is the story or
the head-hunting Mundurucus of the lower
valley who at one time were one or the
most famous tribes of the southern hemi-
sphere They are now reduced to mere
remnant The principal occupation of the
Mundurucu tribe used to be the hunting
of their enemies TO secure their heads They
boiled the heads to get the teeth That
was all they wanted.
NECKLACE OF HUMAN TEETH.
They strung the teeth into things that
looked like necklaces and of these made
aprons, their only article Of wearing APP
parel The sport was considered cheer
ful by the Mundurucu tribes, who insist
that they are not at all bloodthirsty, but
that they simply wanted the teeth for
decorations, and that that was the only
way to get them.
Unfortunately for the teeth hunters,
their enemies relations resented the Gus
tom, and in a short time the teeth wear
ers were in the minority. They were killed
on by concerted efforts OF their enemies.
AS a result all except a few OF them are
dead The few remaining are now being
civilized The entire tribe. when Doctor
Farabee visited IT, had but four OF the
gruesome belts. Three OF these Doctor
Farabee secured and sent TO the University
Museum, where they now are.
One of the strange customs OF the Wal
Wal Indians OF British Guiana is that the
father takes to his hammock whenever a
child is born. There he remains for an
entire month. The mother. however gets
up and goes about her duties as usual.
Doctor Farabes says this is a survival OF
some ancient custom which has not been
explained