THE MEXICAN INDIAN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1055, 22 April 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE MEXICAN INDIAN.

The' Mexican. Indian copper-colored ; skin that lias.frequently a dark-brown appear- ; ance. Smooth,,black, glossy hair, protuberant | cheek-boues, very keen, eyes, broad lips and a !flatnoseare his most marked traits. The beard is generally, heavier, with those who in--1 habit the Temperate ; Zone than with those ■ whose home : is found in,the hot zone j yet the beard is generally very thinj,.growing only, above'the lips and/on the.chin,, while the | cheeks very seldom, show any traces,of hair; i In Sonora, for instance, a person who has any T thing of a prominent beard is certainly atleasl ; from fifty. yearsof age. The Indian i has.; a-softness, .of skin in common ,with the i negro,; .The frame of the body is large, stout, muscular ; and in good proportion, : Cripples jarp.not to bejound among,the Indians of.purc ; blood.. Even those.who have led for. centurie? the..lives of, peaceful citizens possess great i muscular, qtrenglh,. The Indian is an excellent porter and:walker with a heayy.load on his 'back.,,,lt is common to see men carry loads ol 1300 pounds,for : six hours,- resting once,or wice. .Children of. twelve yearsof age carry, : 100. pounds, and seem-not to suffer under this burden.., Women,in .general are not far behind the men. .The way in which:a comjpany of Indians;..goes, to town is curious, They, move constantly in. a long row,, one behind the other. If you address a question 'to the person marching.in front, the row will stop,at once, and not begin its movement again before the conversation has ended, The Indian on an errand seldom,,walks,, but is :constantly trotting,-and in this way he, makes, long distances in a very short,time without showing the least sign of fatigue. The body ■ of the Indian is less liable to disease.than that iof the white man,, Rheumatism, colds and toothache are things unknown to, those o(, :pure blood, It is not very,rare to find, in an, ilndian villageseveral persons whohavepassed. i theirhundredth year. ,