Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-04
BY G. NJ. DYOTT.

The Suyas are repulsive tribe to
meet. There Is no mistaking them
because they insert large circular blocks
of wood in the lower lip and pierce the
lobe of the ear with sticks. Instead of
cutting their hair in a neat bob after
the manner of the AnauQuaS, they let
1t grow long and shaggy.
An interesting diversion interrupted
further conversation. Rapatzi, one of
Aloiques unmarried sons, along with
one OF Cabazala'S boys, appeared in the
doorway with pair of huge wooden
horns, which were used in ceremonial
,, dances.
Upon these they made the most ex-
traordinary noise ever heard by man.
They waved the instruments up and
down while they blew. stamping their
feet in perfect unison. They were
dressed in fantastic feather ornaments.
Suddenly they made a dash outside the
house, closely followed by a girl hold
ing Rapatzi's shoulder with her left
hand. Off then went across the open
space and disappeared in the house
opposite.
Music Never Ceases.
The music, which was suggestive of
the droning of bagpipes, continued, and
in few minutes out they came again,
passing on to another house, until each
had been visited in turn by the three
During the entire performance the
music never ceased and the most per-
feet time was maintained. The sig
nificance of the proceeding was beyond
me, unless it portended the coming
marriage of the girl with one of the
boys. When it was all over the older
men collected out of doors and INDUCED
in a dance of their own. They formed
into line and, stamping their feet,
slowly pivoted round in circle, singing
as they did so.
In the evening a more elaborate
affair was staged inside the houses.
The dancers visited each house in sue
ceSSion, sometimes making two or
three visits. The horns were used
again. and while the men formed into
two lines lengthwise to the house the
women were drawn up in two rows at
right angles to the men. The latter
held their hands outstretched and
stamped their feet; the women rested
one arm on the shoulder of their ad-
jacent companion and swung one foot
back and forth in time to the music.
When all the dancing was over the
two doors of the house in which was
sleeping were closed and every one re-
tired to hammOckS. There were some
80 people In Cabazala's establishment,
all of whom were related to each other.
Families Stay in Groups.
Each family group kept by itself,
their hammockS being Slung together
two or three people sometimes occupy
ing single one. In many instances
hammocks would be slung Immediately
over each other two or three tiers at
ffV7an A {nG
pied a hammock all to himself. It
would be suspended fairly high off the
ground. Immediately below him his
wife would sling hers, sharing it with
the smaller children. The only privacy
afforded was by means of large palm
leaf curtains that could be hung up or
taken down as desired. AS a general
rule these were not used.
Each group had FIRE to itself which
was kept burning q through the
night Sometimes the"a would be two
or three. It is very cold all through
this country as soon IS the sun goes
down, and it was for this reason the
Indians were so eager to get clothes.
A single blanket was hardly sufficient
to keep me warm so was not surpriS-
ed to see the naked Indians getting UP
continually to warm their Shivering
bOllCo NY I11C 11lC
At 4 o'clock I awake from my slum-
bers cold and stiff on the hard floor of
the maloca. The Pickering flame of
the small fire shed feeble light and gave
forth feeble heat. No one stirred. The
festivities of the night before had
proved too much and was fearful that
our plans might miscarry in conse-
quence. Cabazala lay in his hammock
like dead pig and his son who was to
be of our party never stirred an eye
lid. We soon grasped the fact that
many minds had been changed about
coming. We began to wonder how we
would ever get away.
Not Exactly Friendly.
Although these Indians are what one
might call friendly Indians, that is only
a relative term. If it suited their pur-
pose they would not hesitate to massa-
ere my entire party. Nor would such a
task be difficult To accomplish this
they would only have to follow the well
established military formula of split
ting UP the enemy and defeating him in
detail
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