18 HUGO REID'S account of the INDIANS 



alone counted, the black being to prevent fraud, as they 

 had to change and show one in each hand. The arms 

 were crossed and the hands hidden in the lap ; they kept 

 changing the pieces from one hand to the other. Should 

 they fail to guess right, he lost his peon, and counters 

 allotted to the others, and so on until the counters were 

 gone, or all the peons killed, when the others had a trial. 

 They bet almost everything they possess. The umpire 

 provided the line and was paid by the night. 



Another game called charcharake was played between 

 two, each taking a turn to throw with the points down 

 eight pieces of split reed, eight or ten inches long and 

 black one side. 



Another game, called hararicuai^ consisted in throwing 

 rods or canes of the length of a lance, at a ring put in 

 motion, and see who could insert it. The ring was made 

 of Inickskin with a twig of willow inside, and four inches 

 in diameter. This is not played now.^-^ 



Football was played by children and by those swift of 

 foot. Betting was indulged in by the spectators. 



LETTER XII. 



Legend. 

 In Muhuvit,^^ which lies behind the hills of San Fer- 

 nando, a woman married a captain of Verdugas. The 

 woman was very stingy and selfish, and when the people 

 brought them roasted rabbit, she devoured it alone and 

 never invited any one to eat with her. The young chiefs 

 would surround her, but she never invited any of them. 

 They returned to their houses, and when their mothers 

 in(|uired if they had partaken of the feast, said no. 

 Then the peojjle got angry about it, and asked the hus- 

 band to send her home again to her mother. She, by 

 this time, had a daughter. Old men spoke with him ; 



