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25 - Among the Camanches and Apaches- An Autobiography by Edwin Eastman · Among the Camanches and Apaches- An Autobiography

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty five, seven and nine Years Among the Comanches
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  Speaker 1: and Apaches, an autobiography by Edwin Eastman. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: The Feast of the green Corn the fields, or more.
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  Speaker 2: Properly speaking, the patches of corn were quickly ripening thanks
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  Speaker 2: to the arduous efforts of Waca Domay and his wonderful arrow,
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  Speaker 2: and the whole tribe was waiting impatiently the time when
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  Speaker 2: this signal should announce that the feast of the green
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  Speaker 2: corn was about to commence. Next to fighting your Indian
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  Speaker 2: likes eating, about one half of his time is employed
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  Speaker 2: in catering to the cravings of his stomach. When not
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  Speaker 2: engaged in fighting his enemies or marauding in the vicinity
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  Speaker 2: of the Mexican border towns, he occupies his energies in
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  Speaker 2: the hunt or chase. At the time of my enforced
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  Speaker 2: residence among the Apaches, they were not restricted and confined
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  Speaker 2: to reservations as at present. They considered themselves masters of
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  Speaker 2: the country which they inhabited, and were free to roam
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  Speaker 2: in any direction. Their fancy might dictate when in search
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  Speaker 2: of game, they would scour the planes to the northward,
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  Speaker 2: and on some occasions would penetrate deep into the country
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  Speaker 2: of their enemies, the crows and blackfeet. Numerous encounters would
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  Speaker 2: result from this intrusion on the rights of others. At
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  Speaker 2: times they would meet and repulse their opponents and continue
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  Speaker 2: the hunt, return laden with the fruits of the chase,
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  Speaker 2: and girdles plentifully garnished with their victim's scalps. At such times,
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  Speaker 2: their return home partook of the character of an ovation.
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  Speaker 2: Fires would be lighted, food prepared in abundance, and high
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  Speaker 2: revelry be the order of the day. Gathered around the
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  Speaker 2: council fires with an eager and attentive multitude of old men,
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  Speaker 2: women and children constituting themselves an audience, the braves would
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  Speaker 2: indulge in the most fantastic and highly colored narratives of
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  Speaker 2: their deeds of valor and heroic bearing in the presence
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  Speaker 2: of an enemy. Seated in a circle around the blazing
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  Speaker 2: fire and smoking their clay pipes, each one in turn
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  Speaker 2: would relate the incidents of his particular case, reciting the
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  Speaker 2: most probable deeds of valor and ending up, usually with
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  Speaker 2: the oft told tale of how he gained his super quet.
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  Speaker 2: His listeners had doubtless heard the same story on many
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  Speaker 2: similar occasions. But repetition has no horror for an Indian,
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  Speaker 2: and judging from the flattering silence with which his speech
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  Speaker 2: is received and the many complimentary expressions with which he
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  Speaker 2: is greeted at its close, one would at once conclude
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  Speaker 2: that the remarks were new and original. Boasting is an
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  Speaker 2: Indian's weak point given a listener, and the amount of
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  Speaker 2: bombast and mock heroics which he will inflict on one
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  Speaker 2: simply staggers belief. If, on the contrary, the hunting party
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  Speaker 2: has not been successful, but defeat and misfortune has been
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  Speaker 2: their portion, than the scene is changed. In place of
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  Speaker 2: feasting and revelry, they are greeted with a death like silence,
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  Speaker 2: and as the remnant of the party defile through the village,
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  Speaker 2: they are objects of the closest scrutiny by anxious mothers
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  Speaker 2: and wives. If the keen eyes of love search in
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  Speaker 2: vain for the form of him who a few weeks
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  Speaker 2: before left the village in the glory and vigor of manhood,
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  Speaker 2: a heart rending wail goes up, which is instantly echoed
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  Speaker 2: by the assembled women, until the welkin resounds with mournful cries.
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  Speaker 2: As on more joyful occasions, a rush is made in
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  Speaker 2: the direction of the council lodge, and it then becomes
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  Speaker 2: the painful duty of the survivors to relate their mishaps,
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  Speaker 2: and how such and such and one met the enemy
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  Speaker 2: with his accustomed bravery, and foremost fighting fell. In these recitals,
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  Speaker 2: the party in question always meet a foe who vastly
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  Speaker 2: outnumbers them, and according to their account, their opponents always
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  Speaker 2: suffer terribly and slain, and would have eventually been overcome
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  Speaker 2: and completely routed, had not some trifling accident which could
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  Speaker 2: not be foreseen, occur to mar the effects of their
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  Speaker 2: stunning prowess. I have never seen an Indian fight, and
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  Speaker 2: am not able to judge of their actions on the
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  Speaker 2: field of battle. But if observations of the red man
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  Speaker 2: in his home is any criterion, I should venture the
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  Speaker 2: opinion that an Apache would fight valiantly under one condition, namely,
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  Speaker 2: when his party were numerically stronger than the opposing force.
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  Speaker 2: I think they have a just appreciation of the Falsaphian
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  Speaker 2: method of conducting warfare, and are firmly convinced that he
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  Speaker 2: who fights and runs away has better opportunities for glory, rapacity,
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  Speaker 2: and booty. Another day, as these pages are being written,
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  Speaker 2: the country is again startled by the news of fresh
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  Speaker 2: Indian outrages, this time against the constituted authority of the country.
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  Speaker 2: And close on the heels of the news of the
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  Speaker 2: reopening of Indian hostilities comes the thrilling intelligence that a
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  Speaker 2: general has been shot in cold blood, and whilst under
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  Speaker 2: the protecting and sacred influence of a flag of truce.
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  Speaker 2: Such dastardly and treacherous conduct thrills one with a righteous indignation,
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  Speaker 2: and we are more than ever impressed with the belief
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  Speaker 2: that measures the most rigorous should be instituted, and that
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  Speaker 2: the government should put to one side any feelings of
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  Speaker 2: maccus sentimentality, and met out to these red handed savages
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  Speaker 2: the retribution their desserts merit. The case under consideration is
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  Speaker 2: only one among many. How many immigrant trains dragging their
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  Speaker 2: slow length over the trackless and boundless prairies have met
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  Speaker 2: a similar fate, and their misfortune never so much as
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  Speaker 2: heard of. Whole villages on the borders have been attacked, captured,
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  Speaker 2: and pillaged their inhabitants, murdered in cold blood, or carried
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  Speaker 2: off into a captivity that was worse even than the
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  Speaker 2: knife of the savage. Who can count the lonely victims
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  Speaker 2: who have been waylaid on their toilsome journey by a
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  Speaker 2: party of howling savages, and being surrounded before they were
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  Speaker 2: aware almost of the presence of an enemy, set upon
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  Speaker 2: and brained in the most cruel manner, and their bodies
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  Speaker 2: left weltering in their own gore, a repast for wolves
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  Speaker 2: and coyotes. Horrible reflection to think of the numbers who
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  Speaker 2: have suffered this fate and died unknelled, uncoffin and unknown,
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  Speaker 2: while their murderers were these same gentle red children of
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  Speaker 2: whose interests the government has exercised such a watchful care,
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  Speaker 2: guarding them against the rigors of winter by a plentiful
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  Speaker 2: supply of food and blankets, and during the spring furnishing
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  Speaker 2: them with powder in the most improved firearms, that they
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  Speaker 2: might thereby be enabled to steal forth from their reservations,
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  Speaker 2: prey on the helpless travelers, and returning covered with the
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  Speaker 2: blood of their white brothers. Praise their great father at Washington,
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  Speaker 2: and thank him through their agent, for the many inestible
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  Speaker 2: gifts he has placed in their hands, by whose judicious
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  Speaker 2: use they have gratified their dominant passions, and turned many
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  Speaker 2: a happy home into a chamber of mourning. Out upon
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  Speaker 2: such a policy, war to the bitter end is the
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  Speaker 2: only policy that should be, for a moment entertained in
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  Speaker 2: dealing with these fiends, And when they are at last
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  Speaker 2: exterminated off the face of the earth, it may perhaps
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  Speaker 2: be safe for a man to undertake to travel through
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  Speaker 2: his own land. My readers may think I speak with
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  Speaker 2: undue heat on this subject, but the memory of my
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  Speaker 2: sufferings and trials during the time that I remained among
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  Speaker 2: the apaches make it almost imperative that I should speak
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  Speaker 2: freely and without reserve. Those who are at home and
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  Speaker 2: surrounded by the protecting influence of a father's or husband's
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  Speaker 2: care cannot fully appreciate the perils and degradation consequent upon
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  Speaker 2: a life of bondage, and I sincerely trust that it
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  Speaker 2: may never be their misfortune to undergo similar experiences. I
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  Speaker 2: must apologize for this lengthly digression, and will hereafter endeavor
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  Speaker 2: to keep more closely to the thread of my narrative
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  Speaker 2: as before stated, the Indians always made the most extensive
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  Speaker 2: preparations for the feast of the green corn, and it
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  Speaker 2: was looked forward to with the most eager anticipations. Several
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  Speaker 2: weeks before the corn had fairly ripened, the head chief
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  Speaker 2: and medicine men met in conclave and decided on what
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  Speaker 2: measures were to be pursued during the festivities. In most instances,
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  Speaker 2: a few of the older women of the tribe were
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  Speaker 2: selected and appointed to watch the patches of corn attentively.
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  Speaker 2: Every morning, they were required to pick a few ears
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  Speaker 2: of corn, and, without dividing the husk, bring it to
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  Speaker 2: the medicine chief i Takah Pashi Pishah the Black Moccasin,
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  Speaker 2: who would examine it, and if it was not deemed
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  Speaker 2: sufficiently ripe, they would be dismissed with an injunction to
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  Speaker 2: appear again on the following morning with another handful of
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  Speaker 2: freshly gathered corn. This performance was continued until the samples
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  Speaker 2: examined were considered to have arrived at a stage of
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  Speaker 2: sufficient ripeness. When the fact was announced by criers who
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  Speaker 2: went through the village proclaiming the joyful intelligence. For several
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  Speaker 2: days previous to the announcement of this gratifying news. The
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  Speaker 2: Indians had subjected themselves to a thorough purgation, using for
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  Speaker 2: this purpose a decoction of various bitter roots and herbs,
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  Speaker 2: which they termed ascielo, the black drink. This course of
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  Speaker 2: treatment enabled them to attack the corn with ravenous appetites
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  Speaker 2: and to gorge themselves until they could scarcely move. On
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  Speaker 2: the appointed day, the tribe are all assembled, and in
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  Speaker 2: the center of the lodge, a kettle is hung over
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  Speaker 2: a fire and filled with the coveted grain. This is
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  Speaker 2: well boiled and offered to the Great Spirit as a sacrifice.
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  Speaker 2: This is an imperative ceremony and must be performed before
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  Speaker 2: anyone can indulge the cravings of his appetite. During the
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  Speaker 2: time that the cauldron is boiling, four chiefs and mystery
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  Speaker 2: men dance around the steaming kettle. They are painted with
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  Speaker 2: white clay, and in one hand they hold a stalk
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  Speaker 2: of the corn, while with the other they grasp the rattle.
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  Speaker 2: As they move around the fire, they chant a weird
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  Speaker 2: song of thanksgiving, taking particular pains to remind the Great
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  Speaker 2: Spirit that they are doing all this in his honor,
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  Speaker 2: and restraining their appetites that he may be pleased and
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  Speaker 2: propitiated to the extent of furnishing them with a bountiful
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  Speaker 2: supply during the ensuing season. Whilst the medicinemen are performing
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  Speaker 2: in this manner, a number of others form in a
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  Speaker 2: circle outside of the inner one, and with stalks of
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  Speaker 2: corn in each hand, go through a somewhat similar ceremony.
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  Speaker 2: Wooden bowls are placed on the ground immediately under a
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  Speaker 2: tripod formed by joining together three poles of about twelve
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  Speaker 2: feet in length, which are also ornamented with ears of corn,
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  Speaker 2: and each of the bulls is placed a spoon made
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  Speaker 2: of the horn of the buffalo or mountain sheep, in
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  Speaker 2: which the feast is to be served. The dance has
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  Speaker 2: continued until the chiefs decide the corn is sufficiently boiled.
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  Speaker 2: When at a given signal, the dance has stopped for
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  Speaker 2: a few minutes and again resumed, this time to a
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  Speaker 2: different tune. Then the master of ceremonies removes the smoking
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  Speaker 2: vegetable and places it upon a small scaffold of sticks,
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  Speaker 2: which they erect over the fire. Having done this, the
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  Speaker 2: first fire is removed and the ashes are gathered and buried.
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  Speaker 2: A new fire is then made in the place occupied
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  Speaker 2: by the old one. The new one is started by
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  Speaker 2: a very painful process. Three men seat themselves on the ground,
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  Speaker 2: facing each other, and procuring a hard block of wood,
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  Speaker 2: commence drilling violently with a stick, by rolling it between
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  Speaker 2: the palms of the hand. Each one catches it in
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  Speaker 2: turn from the other, without allowing the motion to stop
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  Speaker 2: until smoke, and at last a spark of fire is
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  Speaker 2: seen and caught in a piece of punk whereat. There
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  Speaker 2: is great rejoicing among the bystanders when this fire is kindled.
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  Speaker 2: The kettle is a placed over the fire and refilled
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  Speaker 2: with the vegetable. Now the feast begins. An onslaught is
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  Speaker 2: made on the contents of the pot, and the Indians
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  Speaker 2: rush off in all directions to devour the corn. Soon
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  Speaker 2: fires are blazing in every lodge, and all are indulging
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  Speaker 2: in the grossest gluttony. This feast lasts until the corn
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  Speaker 2: is exhausted or becomes too hard to eat with any
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  Speaker 2: degree of comfort. When an Indian has gorged himself to
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  Speaker 2: the fullest capacity, he has recourse to his asceola and
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  Speaker 2: is soon in a condition to recommence with as much
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  Speaker 2: vigor as at first. These scenes filled me with disgust,
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  Speaker 2: and I often thought how happy those brutes would be
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  Speaker 2: if they were only endowed with the wonderful full attributes
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  Speaker 2: of that little sea monster, the polyp, who, when his
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  Speaker 2: body is cut in half, suffers no inconvenience. But Gorman
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  Speaker 2: dies is as much as ever with this advantage that
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  Speaker 2: the food, instead of remaining in his stomach, passes out
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  Speaker 2: at the other end, thus allowing him to indulge in
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  Speaker 2: the pleasure of gluttony without the inconvenience of being gorged.
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  Speaker 1: End of Chapter twenty five.