Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo17amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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414 Tllh: AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL trailing skirts resemble dwarfed, aged women. All the wearing apparel is made of woolen clotli of home manu- facture. The men permit their hair to o-row long and hraid it in a queue which hangs down the Ijaek. Both sexes wear peculiar little hats made of some kind of skin prepared by a pro- cess which renders it very hard: these hats reminded us of steel helmets. With the exception of huge, spoon-sha))('d pins of CO))))!'!', wllich the woilicll used
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The pincomamchachi is one of the official bird killers of the Quichuas. Armed with a sling, he spends the days in field and orchard, keeping up a continuous fusillade upon the birds which come to feed on fruit or grain. Posing for the camera was a new and mysterious experience for this lad to fasten their shawls, we saw no orna- ments of metal, nor Jewelry of any kind. The home life of these Indians is tranquil and uneventful. Usually the little stone lints contain two or three rooms; potatoes and other produce are stored in one of them, and the rest are used for cooking and sleeping quarters. Ill very cold weather a fire is kept Imniing day and night and all the occupants of a house Inirrow into )iiles of >li('cp skins and Itlankcls close to the -niouhlcring embers. W'c ))ersuaded one of the women to bring goat's milk to cam)) eacli morn- ing, but to do this we liad tlie greatest difliculty. Only by payment for a week's supply in advance could she be induced to perform this service. From past exiierienccs with his fellow countrymen, the Quichua has learned to icgaii! all strangers with apprehension. On fi'c(picnt occasions we had the op- p(uiunity of observing how the average jiiii^diio treats the Indian. Should niglit overtake him on the trail, he stops at the nearest hovel and demands food and shelter for himself and his animals. In the event that the owner has noth- ing to otTcr, he draws his rifle or re- volver and shoots any fowls that may be lunning about, or lacking these, a sheep or goat, and seizes whatever else he can find. Should he see an attractive blanket, it is also taken. In the morn- ing a few rentavos are thrown on the ground and he continues on his journey. As a rule we found that if the Indians were treated in a frank, honest manner, they were most amiable. The little woman we had engaged to bring us milk trudged down from the mountain-top daily in faithful compli- ance with her obligation. She brought cheese also, and occasionally a few oggt". As it gradually dawned upon her that

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