Transactions of the American Ethnological Society, Volume 3Bartlett & Welford, 1853 - America |
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aborigines according America amongst ancient Answer appear arrived believe body building called carried cazique ceremony Cherokees chiefs civil close color common consisting continued council covered Creeks customs dance death described drink earth entire equal existed fact feet festival figures fire five four give gods ground hand head idols Indians inhabitants island kind Lake language manner means mention Mexican Mexico Mic-co monuments mounds natural never Nicaragua observed occupied origin Oviedo painted Panama perhaps period person plant present priest probably reason received region relation remains represent respect river roots seems serve side sometimes speak square stone suppose temple things tion town traders tradition tribes various visited warriors woman women yards young
Popular passages
Page 63 - And when he has built a house, made his crop and gathered it in, then made his hunt and brought home the meat, and put all this in the possession of his wife, the ceremony ends, and they are married; or as they express it, the woman is bound.
Page 68 - For twelve moons he abstains from eating bucks, except old ones, and from turkey cocks, fowls, peas, and salt. During this period he must not pick his ears, or scratch his head with his fingers, but use a small stick. For four moons he must have a fire to himself to cook his food, and a little girl, a virgin, may cook for him ; his food is boiled grits. The fifth moon, any person may cook for him, but he must serve himself first, and use one spoon and pan.
Page 22 - Every individual inhabitant has an equal right to the soil and to hunt and range over this region, except within the jurisdiction of each town or village, which I believe seldom extends beyond its habitations and planting grounds. Perhaps the Uches are to be excepted. They claim an exclusive property, by right of a contract or treaty made when they entered into alliance with the...
Page 67 - Mic-co and counsellors then go four times round the fire, and every time they face the east, they throw some of the flowers into the fire. They then go and stand to the west. The warriors then repeat the same ceremony. A cane is stuck up at the cabin of the Mic-co with two white feathers in the end of it.
Page 67 - He sticks up the cane at the water's edge, and they all put a grain of the old man's tobacco on their heads, and in each ear. Then, at a signal given, four different times, they throw some into the river, and every man at a like signal plunges into the river, and picks up four stones from the bottom. With these they cross themselves on their breasts four times, each time throwing a stone into the river, and giving the death whoop ; they then wash themselves, take up the cane and feathers, return...
Page 104 - Nicaragua," but also upon their general appearance, habits, and modes of life. Their language does not appear to have any direct relationship with that of the Southern Caribs; but is probably the same, or a dialect of the same with that spoken around what is now called Chiriqui Lagoon, near the Isthmus of Panama, and which was originally called Chiribiri. or Chraibici, from which comes Gomera's Caribici or Carib.
Page 113 - World, and affected so remarkably, by intermixture and change of soil and climate, the condition and relations of its inhabitants. We have then presented to us the extraordinary phenomenon of a fragment of a great aboriginal nation, widely separated from the parent stock, and intruded among other and hostile nations; yet, from the comparative lateness of the separation, or some other cause, still retaining its original, distinguishing features, so as to be easily recognized. The causes which led...
Page 78 - Muscogulges, and all that country was probably, many ages preceding the Cherokee invasion, inhabited by one nation or confederacy, who were ruled by the same system of laws, customs and language, but so ancient that the Cherokees, Creeks, or the nation they conquered, could render no account for what purpose these monuments were raised.
Page 75 - ... the end of which just fitted the opening, was whirled rapidly until the weed took fire. The flame was then kindled on the hearth and thence taken to every house by the women, who collectively waited for that purpose. The old fires having been everywhere extinguished, and the hearths cleansed, new fires were lighted throughout the country, and a sacrifice was made in each one of them of the first meat killed afterwards by those to whom they respectively belonged.
Page 62 - This is the assembly room for all people, old and young. They assemble every night and amuse themselves with dancing, singing or conversation. And here, sometimes, in very cold weather, the old and naked sleep. "In all transactions which require secrecy, the rulers meet 1798 here, make their fire, deliberate and decide.