Part 85 (1/2)

On the bench was laid the dead chief dressed, ornamented, and jeweled, while around him sat his wives gaily attired with ear-rings and bracelets. All being prepared the a.s.sembled mult.i.tude raised their voices in songs declaring the bravery and prowess of the deceased; they recounted his liberality and many virtues and highly extolled the affection of his faithful wives who desired to accompany him. The singing and dancing usually lasted two days and during its continuance wine was freely served to the performers and also to the women who were awaiting their fate. At the expiration of such time they became entirely inebriated and in a senseless condition, when the final act was consummated by throwing dead and doomed into the grave, and filling it with logs, branches, and earth. The spot was afterwards held in sacred remembrance and a grove of trees planted round it. At the end of a year funeral honors were celebrated in memory of the dead. A host of friends and relatives of equal rank with the deceased were invited to partic.i.p.ate, who upon the day appointed brought quant.i.ties of food and wine such as he whose memory they honored delighted in, also weapons with which he used to fight, all of which were placed in a canoe prepared for the purpose; in it was also deposited an effigy of the deceased. The canoe was then carried on men's shoulders round the court of the palace or house, in presence of the deceased, if he was embalmed, and afterwards brought out to the centre of the town where it was burned with all it contained,--the people believing that the fumes and smoke ascended to the soul of the dead and was pleasing and acceptable to him.[1039] If the body had been interred they opened the sepulchre; all the people with hair disheveled uttering loud lamenting cries while the bones were being collected, and these they burned all except the hinder part of the skull, which was taken home by one of the princ.i.p.al women and preserved by her as a sacred relic.

[Sidenote: ISTHMIAN CHARACTER.]

The character of the Costa Ricans has ever been that of a fierce and savage people, prominent in which qualities are the Guatusos and Buricas, who have shown themselves strongly averse to intercourse with civilization. The Talamancas are a little less untameable, which is the best, or perhaps the worst, that can be said. The Terrabas, also a cruel and warlike nation, are nevertheless spoken of by Fray Juan Domingo Arricivita as endowed with natural docility. The natives of Boca del Toro are barbarous and averse to change. In Chiriqui they are brave and intelligent, their exceeding courage having obtained for them the name of _Valientes_ or _Indios Bravos_ from the early discoverers; they are also noted for honesty and fair dealing. The same warlike and independent spirit and fearlessness of death prevails among the nations of Veragua, Panama, and Darien. The inhabitants of Panama and Cueba are given to lechery, theft, and lying; with some these qualities are fas.h.i.+onable; others hold them to be crimes. The Mandingos and natives of San Blas are an independent and industrious people, possessing considerable intelligence, and are of a docile and hospitable disposition. The inhabitants of Darien are kind, open-hearted, and peaceable, yet have always been resolute in opposing all interference from foreigners; they are fond of amus.e.m.e.nts and inclined to indolence; the latter trait is not, however, applicable to all, a noticeable exception being the Cunas and Chocos of the Atrato Valley, who are of a gentle nature, kind, hospitable, and open-hearted when once their confidence is gained; they are likewise industrious and patient, and M.

Lucien de Puydt says of the former: ”Theft is altogether unknown amongst the Cunas.” Colonel Alcedo, speaking of their neighbors, the Idibaes, calls them treacherous, inconstant, and false. In the interior and mountain districts the inhabitants are more fierce than those from the coast; the former are shy and retiring, yet given to hospitality. On the gulf of Uraba the people are warlike, vainglorious, and revengeful.[1040]

Thus from the icy regions of the north to the hot and humid sh.o.r.es of Darien I have followed these Wild Tribes of the Pacific States, with no other object in view than faithfully to picture them according to the information I have been able to glean. And thus I leave them, yet not without regret: for notwithstanding all that has been said I cannot but feel how little we know of them. Of their mighty unrecorded past, their interminable intermixtures, their ages of wars and convulsions, their inner life, their aspirations, hopes, and fears, how little do we know of all this! And now as the eye rests upon the fair domain from which they have been so ign.o.bly hurried, questions like these arise: How long have these backings and battlings been going on? What purpose did these peoples serve? Whence did they come and whither have they gone?--questions unanswerable until Omniscience be fathomed and the beginning and end made one.

TRIBAL BOUNDARIES.

The WILD TRIBES OF CENTRAL AMERICA, the last groupal division of this work, extend from the western boundary of Guatemala, south and eastward, to the Rio Atrato. I have divided the group into three subdivisions, namely: the _Guatemalans_, the _Mosquitos_, and the _Isthmians_.

The GUATEMALANS, for the purposes of this delineation, embrace those nations occupying the present states of Guatemala, Salvador, and portions of Nicaragua.

The _Lacandones_ are a wild nation inhabiting the Chamma mountains on the boundary of Guatemala and Chiapas. 'Mountains of Chamma, inhabited by the wild Indians of Lacandon ... a distinction ought to be drawn between the Western and Eastern Lacandones. All the country lying on the W., between the bishopric of Ciudad Real and the province of Vera Paz, was once occupied by the Western Lacandones.... The country of the Eastern Lacandones may be considered as extending from the mountains of Chamma, a day and a half from Coban, along the borders of the river de la Pasion to Peten, or even further.' _Escobar_, in _Lond. Geog. Soc., Jour._, vol. xi., pp. 93-4. Upon the margin of the Rio de la Pa.s.sion.

_Juarros' Hist. Guat._, p. 271. 'Un tribu de Mayas sauvages appeles Lacandons, qui habitent un district immense dans le centre du continent, embra.s.se toute la partie occidentale du Peten; erre sur les bords superieurs de l'Usumasinta et le pays qui se trouve au sud de l'endroit d'ou j'ecris.' _Galindo_, in _Antiq. Mex._, tom. i., div. ii., p. 67.

'The vast region lying between Chiapa, Tabasco, Yucatan, and the republic of Guatemala ... is still occupied by a considerable body of Indians, the Lacandones and others.' _Squier_, in _Hist. Mag._, vol.

iv., p. 65, 'The vast region embracing not less than from 8000 to 10,000 square miles, surrounding the upper waters of the river Usumasinta, in which exist the indomitable Lacandones.' _Id._, p. 67. 'Mais la contree qui s'etendait au nord de Cahabon, siege provisoire des Dominicains, et qui comprenait le pays de Dolores et celui des Itzas, etait encore a peu pres inconnue. La vivaient les Choles, les belliqueux et feroces Mopans, les Lacandons et quelques tribus plus obscures, dont l'histoire a neglige les noms.' _Morelet_, _Voyage_, tom. ii., p. 78, tom. i., p.

318. 'They are reduced to-day to a very insignificant number, living on and near Pa.s.sion river and its tributaries.' _Berendt_, in _Smithsonian Rept._, 1867, p. 425. 'In the north of Vera Paz, to the west of Peten, and all along the Usumacinta, dwell numerous and warlike tribes, called generally Lacandones.' _Boyle's Ride_, vol. i., pref., p. xvi.; _Fossey_, _Mexique_, p. 471; _Pimentel_, _Mem. sobre la Raza Indigena_, p. 197.

[Sidenote: THE MAMES OF GUATEMALA.]

The _Mames_ 'occupied the existing district of Gueguetenango, a part of Quezaltenango, and the province of Soconusco, and in all these places the Mam or Pocoman language is vernacular. It is a circ.u.mstance not a little remarkable, that this idiom is also peculiar to places very distant from the country of the Mams: viz. in Amat.i.tan, Mixco, and Petapa, in the province of Sacatepeques; Chalchuapa, in St. Salvador; Mita, Jalapa, and Xilotepeque, in Chiquimula.' _Juarros' Hist. Guat._, p. 169. 'El Mame o Pocoman le usan los mames o pocomanes, que parecen no ser mas que dos tribus de una misma nacion, la cual formaba un estado poderoso en Guatemala. Se extendio por el distrito de Huehuetenango, en la provincia de este nombre, y por parte de la de Quetzaltenango, asi como por el distrito de Soconusco en Chiapas. En todos estos lugares se hablaba mame o pocoman, lo mismo que en Amat.i.tlan, Mixco y Petapa, de la provincia de Zacatepec o Guatemala; en Chalchuapa, perteneciente a la de San Salvador; y en Mita, Jalapa y Jiloltepec, de la de Chiquimula.'

_Balbi_, in _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. i., p. 81. 'Leur capitale etait Gueguetenango, au nord-est de la ville actuelle de Guatemala, et les villes de Masacatan, Cuilco, Chiantla et Istaguacan etaient enclavees dans leur territoire.' _Squier_, in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1857, tom. cliii., p. 177. 'A l'ouest, jusqu'aux frontieres de Chiapas, s'etendaient les Mams, proprement dits Mam-Yoc, dans leurs histoires, partages en plusieurs familles egalement puissantes qui gouvernaient souverainement cette contree, alors designee sous le nom commun d'Otzoya (de otzoy, sortes d'ecrevisses d'or): c'etaient d'un cote les Chun-Zak-Yoc, qui avaient pour capitale Qulaha, que son opulence et son etendue avaient fait surnommer Nima-Amag ou la Grande-Ville, dite depuis Xelahun-Quieh, ou Xelahuh, et Quezaltenango; les Tzitzol, dont la capitale etait peut-etre Chinabahul ou Huehuetenango, les Ganchebi (see note below under Ganchebis) et les Bamaq. Ceux-ci, dont nous avons connu les descendants, etaient seigneurs d'Iztlahuacan (San-Miguel-Iztlahuacan), dont le plateau est encore aujourd'hui pa.r.s.eme de ruines au milieu desquelles s'eleve l'humble bourgade de ce nom: au dessus domine, a une hauteur formidable, Xubiltenam (ville du Souffle).... Ganchebi, ecrit alternativement Canchebiz, Canchevez et Ganchebirse. Rien n'indique d'une maniere precise ou regnait cette famille: mais il se pourrait que ce fut a Zipacapan ou a Chivun, dont les ruines existent a trois lieues au sud de cette derniere localite; la etait l'ancien Oztoncalco.'

_Bra.s.seur de Bourbourg_, _Popol Vuh_, introd., pp. 264-5. 'Habitaban el Soconusco, desde tiempos remotos, y era un pueblo autocton; los olmecas que llegaron de la parto de Mexico, les redujeron a la servidumbre, y una fraccion de los vencidos emigro hasta Guatemala.' _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografia_, p. 168. The Mamey, Achi, Cuaahtemalteca, Hutateca, and Chirichota 'en la de los Suchitepeques y Cuaahtemala.' _Palacio_, in _Pacheco_, _Col. Doc. Ined._, tom. vi., p. 7. Mame 'Parle dans les localites voisines de Huehuetenango.' _Bra.s.seur de Bourbourg_, _MS.

Troano_, tom. ii., p. viii. 'On retrouve encore aujourd'hui leurs restes parmi les Indiens de la province de Totonicapan, aux frontieres de Chiapas et des Lacandons, an nord-ouest de l'etat de Guatemala. La place forte de Zakuleu (c'est-a-dire, Terre blanche, mal a propos orthographie Socoleo), dont on admire les vastes debris aupres de la ville de Huehuetenango, resta, jusqu'au temps de la conquete espagnole, la capitale des Mems. Cette race avait ete anterieurement la maitresse de la plus grande partie de l'etat de Guatemala.' _Bra.s.seur de Bourbourg_, _Hist. Nat. Civ._, tom. ii., pp. 119-20.

The _Pokomams_, or Pokonchis, lived in the district of Vera Paz in Guatemala, 'sous le nom d'Uxab et de Pokomam, une partie des treize tribus de Tecpan, dont la capitale etait la grande cite de Nimpokom, etait maitresse de la Verapaz et des provinces situees au sud du Motagua jusqu'a Palin' (2 leagues N. W. of Rabinal). _Bra.s.seur de Bourbourg_, _Popol Vuh_, introd., p. 264. Ils 'paraissent avoir occupe une grande partie des provinces guatemaliennes.' _Bra.s.seur de Bourbourg_, _Hist.

Nat. Civ._, tom. ii., pp. 84, 506. 'Toute la rive droite du Chixoy (Lacandon ou haut Uzumacinta), depuis Coban (ecrit quelquefois Coboan) jusqu'au fleuve Motagua, les montagnes et les vallees de Gagcoh (San-Cristoval), de Taltic, de Rabinal et d'Urran, une partie des departements actuels de Zacatepec, de Guatemala et de Chiquimula, jusqu'au pied des volcans de Hunahpu (volcans d'Eau et de Feu), devinrent leur proie.' _Id._, pp. 121-2. 'Le pocomchi, le pokoman, le cakchi, semes d'Amat.i.tan a Coban.' _Bra.s.seur de Bourbourg_, _MS.

Troano_, tom. ii., introd., p. viii. In 'La Verapaz, la poponchi, caechi y colchi.' _Palacio_, in _Pacheco_, _Col. Doc. Ined._, tom. vi., p. 7.

'La lengua pocomana se habla en Amat.i.tan, Petapa, San Chrisobal, Pinula, y Hermita o Llano de la Culebra de Guatemala.' _Hervas_, _Catalogo_, tom. i., p. 305. 'A la nacion Poconchi pertenecen los lugares o misiones ... llamadas Santa Cruz, San Christobal, Taktik, Tucuru, y Tomasiu.' _Ib._

The _Quiches_ inhabit the centre of the state of Guatemala. 'Quiche then comprehended the present districts of Quiche, Totonicapan, part of Quezaltenango, and the village of Rabinal; in all these places the Quiche language is spoken. For this reason, it may be inferred with much probability, that the greater part of the province of Sapot.i.tlan, or Suchiltepeques, was a colony of the Quichees, as the same idiom is made use of nearly throughout the whole of it.' _Juarros' Hist. Guat._, p.

168. 'Les Quiches, or Utletecas, habitaient la frontiere du sud, les chefs de Sacapulus et Uspatan a l'est, et les Lacandones independants au nord. Ils occupaient probablement la plus grande partie du district actuel de Totonicapan et une portion de celui de Quesaltenango.'

_Squier_, in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1857, tom. cliii., p. 177.

'Leurs postes princ.i.p.aux furent etablis sur les deux cotes du Chixoy, depuis Zacapulas jusqu'a Zactzuy.' _Bra.s.seur de Bourbourg_, _Hist. Nat.

Civ._, tom. ii., pp. 131-2; _Wappaus_, _Geog. u. Stat._, pp. 286, 288, 291.

The _Cakchiquels_ are south of the Quiches. 'The territory of the Kachiqueles was composed of that which now forms the provinces of Chimaltenango and Sacatepeques, and the district of Solola; and as the Kachiquel language is also spoken in the villages of Patulul, Cotzumalguapan, and others along the same coast, it is a plausible supposition that they were colonies settled by the Kachiquels, for the purpose of cultivating the desirable productions of a warmer climate than their own.' _Juarros' Hist. Guat._, p. 169. 'La capitale fut, en dernier lieu, Iximche ou Tecpan-Guatemala, lors de la declaration de l'independence de cette nation.' _Bra.s.seur de Bourbourg_, _Popol Vuh_, introd., p. 270. 'Der westliche Theil der Provinz [At.i.tan] mit 16 Dorfern in 4 Kirchspielen, von Nachkommen der Kachiquelen und Zutugilen bewohnt.' _Ha.s.sel_, _Mex. Guat._, p. 338. 'Los paises de la nacion Cakchiquila son Chimaltenango, Zumpango, Tejar, Santo Domingo, San Pedro las Huertas, San Gaspar, San Luis de las Carretas, y otros diez lugares, todos pertenecientes a las misiones de los PP. dominicos; y a las de los PP. observantes de san Francisco pertenecen Isapa, Pason, Tepan-guatemalan Comalapa, San Antonio, San Juan del Obispo, y otros quince lugares a lo menos de la misma nacion Cakchiquila, cuyas poblaciones estan al rededor de Guatemala.' _Hervas_, _Catalogo_, tom.

i., p. 305.

The _Zutugils_ dwelt near the lake of At.i.tlan. 'The dominion of the Zutugiles extended over the modern district of At.i.tan, and the village of San Antonio, Suchiltepeques.' _Juarros' Hist. Guat._, p. 169. 'La capital de los cachiqueles era Patinamit o Tecpanguatemala, ciudad grande y fuerte; y la de los zutuhiles, At.i.tan, cerca de la laguna de este nombre y que se tenia por inexpugnable.' _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom.

ii., pp. 121-2.

The _Chortis_ live on the banks of the Motagua River. The Chiquimula 'Indians belong to the Chorti nation.' _Gavarrete_, in _Panama Star and Herald_, Dec. 19, 1867; _Ludewig's Ab. Lang._, p. 48.

[Sidenote: GUATEMALANS.]

Bra.s.seur de Bourbourg describes quite a number of very ancient nations, of some of which he endeavors to fix the localities, and which I insert here. Dan or Tamub founded a monarchy on the Guatemalan plateau. Their 'capitale, Amag-Dan, existait, suivant toute apparence, entre les monts Tohil et Mamah, a trois lieues a peine au nord d'Utlatlan.' _Popol Vuh_, introd., pp. 148, 262. 'Ilocab etendait sa domination a l'ouest et au sud de Tamub, et la cite d'Uquincat, siege princ.i.p.ale de cette maison, occupait un plateau etroit, situe entre les memes ravins qui ceignent un peu plus bas les ruines d'Utlatlan.' 'La ville d'Uquincat (forme antique). Avec le filet (a mettre le mas), etait sur un plateau au nord-ouest de ceux d'Utlatlan, dont elle n'etait separee que par ses ravins; on en voit encore les ruines connues aujourd'hui sous le nom de P'-Ilocab, en Ilocab.' _Id._, p. 263. Agaab, 'dont les possessions s'etendaient sur les deux rives du Chixoy ou Lacandon.' 'C'etait une nation, puissante dont les princ.i.p.ales villes existaient a peu de distance de la rive gauche du fleuve Chixoy ou Lacandon (Rio Grande de Sacapulas). L'une d'elles etait Carinal, dont j'ai visite le premier, en 1856, les belles ruines, situees sur les bords du Pacalag, riviere qui se jette dans le Lacandon, presque vis-a-vis l'embouchure de celle de Rabinal, dans la Verapaz.' _Ib._ Cabinal, 'la capitale etait a Zameneb, dans les montagnes de Xoyabah ou Xolabah, [Entre les rochers].' _Id._, p. 270. Ah-Actulul, 'sept tribus de la nation Ah-Actulul, qui s'etaient etablies sur des territoires dependants de la souverainete d'At.i.tlan.'

'Ces sept tribus sont: Ah-Tzuque, Ah-Oanem, Manacot, Manazaquepet, Vancoh, Yabacoh et Ah-Tzakol-Quet ou Queh.--Ac-Tulul peut-etre pour Ah-Tulul.' _Id._, p. 274. 'Ah-Txiquinaha, ceux ou les habitants de Tziquinaha (Nid d'oiseau), dont la capitale fut At.i.tlan, sur le lac du meme nom.' _Id._, p. 296. Acutee, 'nom aussi d'une ancienne tribu dont on retrouve le souvenir dans Chuvi-Acutec, au-dessus d'Acutec, sur le territoire de Chalcitan, pres de Malacatan et de Huehuetenango.' _Id._, pp. 342-3. Cohah, 'nom d'une tribu antique dans l'orient des Quiches.'