he camp
and continued their singing and dancing for a little while. Then
they stopped dancing, all making a step in unison, shaking the
body and saying dryly and in one voice, "Ha, ha, ha!" Next they
sat down on the ground and signalled to us that we must sit down
also. So we sat down in front of them, the commander, I, and the
commissary. Now an Indian arose and presented the commander with
a string of cacomites, and again sat down. Shortly afterward he
rose again and made me a present of another string of cacomites,
and again sat down. In this way they went making us their little
presents, another Indian giving me a very large root of
chuchupate which he began to eat, telling me by signs that it
was good.

This compliment being over, they invited us to go to their
village, indicating that it was nearby. The commander consented
to give them this pleasure, and at once we began to travel. They
followed after us with their singing and dancing.... After going
a short distance we came to the village, which was in a little
valley on the bank of a small arroyo, the Indians welcoming us
with an indescribable hullabaloo. Three of them came to the edge
of the village with some long poles with feathers on the end,
and some long and narrow strips of skin with the hair on, which
looked to me like rabbit skin, hanging like a pennant, this
being their sign of peace. They led us to the middle of the
village where there was a level spot like a plaza, and then
began to dance with other Indians of the place with much clatter
and yelling.

A little afterward a rather old Indian woman came out, and in
front of us, for we were on horseback, nobody having dismounted.
She began to dance along, making motions very indicative of
pleasure, and at times stopping to talk to us, making signs with
her hands as if bidding us welcome. After a short while I said
to the commander that that was enough. So he gave presents of
glass beads to all the women, they regaled us with their
cacomites, and we said goodby to everybody in order to continue
on our way. They were apparently sad because we were leaving,
and I was moved to tenderness at seeing the joy with which we
were welcomed by those poor Indians. Their color and other
qualities of nakedness, slight beard, etc., are the same as
those seen hith