THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 289 



and must liave his word in the councils. Even those who by supe- 

 rior ciinnin<:j have obtained some influence, are extremely careful lest 

 their conduct should not prove acceptable to their criticising inferiors. 

 The "juntas," or councils, are generally composed of the richcwst 

 men, each one a self-constituted member, but their decisions are of but 

 little moment unless tliey meet the approbation of the massof the people; 

 and for this reason these councils arc exceedingly careful not to run 

 counter to the wishes of the poorer but more numerous class, being 

 well aware of the difficulty, if not impossibility, of enforcing any 

 act that would not command their approval. This want of a chief who 

 would be looked up to by his people, and v/ith power to carry out 

 whatever measures are necessary for the welfare of his tribe, is a 

 groat drawback, and renders the management of these people a matter 

 often of serious concern, and requiring always a great deal of tact, 

 judgment, and discretion. The nation, as a nation, is fully imbued 

 with the idea that it is all-powerful, which, no doubt, has arisen from 

 the fact of its having been for years a terror and a dread to the inhab- 

 itants of New Mexico. The rich men, however, are fast becoming con- 

 vinced that the government troops are not frightened at the mention 

 of their names ; yet this opinion is far from prevalent among those (and 

 they are the great majority) who ovv^n n-o flocks or herds. Persons of 

 this class frequently commit depredations to a small extent, and so 

 powerless is the chief to prevent acts of this kind, or punish the 

 depredator, that he frequently pays from his own herds the value 

 of the article stolen. In short, their government is no government 

 at all ; the chief has no authority, and ever}"- one does that which 

 seemeth good in his own sight. It is only the fear of tlie military 

 power which keeps them in any kind of order. 



Their houses are temporary huts of the most miserable construction. 

 They are conical in shape, made of sticks, and covered with branches 

 and dirt, from six to sixteen feet in diameter, and in many of them a 

 man cannot stand erect. A hole covered with an old blanket or 

 sheepskin serves the purpose of a door. The hovel is doubtless warm 

 enough in winter, but must be sadly deficient in fresh air, at least tO' 

 sensitive nostrils. Some live in caves in the rocks, and this can be 

 the only foundation for the assertion that they *' build stone houses."' 

 These people build no houses but the huts to which we have just 

 alluded, and they show tlie high degree of civilization so much 

 praised as being superior to that found among any other wild Indians 

 in any portion of the territory of the United States. In the con- 

 struction of their dwellings we have no hesitation in saying, that 

 these people are greatly inferior to the ''Northwestern Indians," as 

 we have seen the habitations of both. When an Indian dies in one 

 of these huts it is immediately abandoned, and upon no considera- 

 tion can any one be induced to inhabit it again, or to use it fqr any 

 purpose whatever. A small hut, about three feet in height, is erected 

 for taking hot-air baths after any fatiguing exertion. A number of 

 heated stones are placed inside, the person enters, and covering the 

 hole with a blanket, is soon in a copious perspiration. 



The men clothe them.selves somewhat differently. Some wear short 

 breeches of brownish-colored buckskin, or red baize, buttoned at the 

 19 



