Observations of a Ranchwoman in New Mexico (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 edition. Excerpt: ...me, or rather worked for me, on and off a matter of two years. but still stoutly refuses to speak a word of English, and, indeed, pretends she understands none, which is an imposition. "La luna chiquita--oh, chiquitillal--poco gallinas, mucho gallos La luna gra-a-a-nde" (spreading arms and hands, and opening mouth cavernously), "Inucho gallinas, poca gallos " In the Territory of New Mexico there are 175,000 people--at this writing probably more. Of these 30,000 are Indians and 25,000 Americans; the rest are Mexicans. The very large majority of this total population can neither read nor write. What is more, all the Indians are believers in magic and witchcraft, and the bulk of the Mexicans in witchcraft. In the large Indian pueblos in close touch with Americans, nothing but the near presence of white people prevents wholesale uprisings against socalled witches; and even as it is, isolated specimens of the craft, male and female, are occasionally killed or put to the torture according to the ancient and prescribed Indian method of dealing with witches. Yet it by no means follows that these believers in superstitions are necessarily barbarous, any more than were the pious New Englanders who formerly indulged in the like barbaric practices; in most other relations of life the witch-persecutorsare probably sufliciently harmless and worthy. The Mexican does not often punish for witchcraft---partly perhaps because the Mexican witch is a person of lively and retaliatory character, and has an unpleasant habit of turning on the persecutor, as many amusing and veracious tales set forth. Even in our civilised valley one does not hold much intercourse with the Mexican without being confronted with the Evil Eye and other minor...