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CREMATION RITUAL OF THE LUI SENOS

Anonymous

Philip M. Gaffey, special agent of the Forestry Commission, who
been on a tour of inspection in San Diego county, has returned home.
ing Mr. Gaffey's stay in San Diego county he had an opportunity of
rning a good deal about the San Luis Rey Indians and their various
toms.

"The Indians," said Mr. Gaffey in an interview with an Express

orter, "as a rule are good, hard working people. Since the government
-established schools for them, which have been conducted for about six
rs, there has been a marked improvement in this tribe. They are

ided up into rancherias, or small villages, in numbers ranging from two

dred to five hundred each. The names of the rancherias are San Ysabelle,
quilla, San Asigro, Pala, San Phillippi, Mesa Grande, Port La Cruz, San
a Rey and Agua Caliente. The last named place, which means hot water,

a regular form of city government. The officers are designated as the
tain, or Mayor, Sheriff, two Judges and Zanjero.

"They have a calaboose, or jail, which is constructed of adobe.
kprisoner is first tried by the justice and, if found guilty, his case

eferred to the Indian agent, who is stationed at Colton. All the
eedings are conducted in the Indian language. With this form of

rnment the Indians are satisfied and rarely, if ever, occasion any

rbance. There are a number of white men married to squaws who are

od circumstances. The children, as a rule, are polite, and very apt
Jars. One peculiarity is that they will not converse in English with

rican. They will talk Spanish, and only speak English amongst them-
es. I do not know of any reason for this. It is due, probably, to

fear of making mistakes, or they do not like to subject themselves to
icism.

Fiesta de Los Monos

"The disposition of their dead is singular, and excites a great
of interest among strangers.  The funeral does not take place until
years after death. The corpse shortly after death is buried (with
xception of the hair) in a rude box, without any ceremony. At the

ation of three years the funeral, or fiesta de los monos, takes place.

to represent the deceased is made, and dressed according to the

1 or financial standing of the person whom is represented. The hair

n placed on the monos, or dummy, and the ceremony follows.   A remada,
g corral, with a roof of brush, is constructed, and in this place

remony is performed.  A fire is built, around which the Indians chant
nce. The Indians believe that the chanting drives off the devil or

Diego Express (newspaper), September 9, 1889.

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evil spirits that may be present. After the chanting, which is carried on
until morning, the Indians end their clamor by looking heavenward and
giving voice to unearthly yells. A procession is then formed and the
dancing is carried on by squaws, while the bucks stand about throwing

away coins of different denominations and various kinds of cereals upon
the passers by. The procession leaves the remada and returns after
progressing some 500 yards.

"Upon the return of the procession the dummy is thrown into the
fire and then consumed. During the burning of the Monos, chanting and
dancing is indulged in by the squaws, while the bucks fire salutes.

"I saw a ceremony of this kind at Agua Caliente. Before the

services began an old Indian, who is considered the sage of the village,
was chosen master of ceremonies. The old fellow was over 'one hundred

years old', and before the proceedings commenced he addressed the assemblage
in Spanish. He asked those present who did not believe in the religion of
the Indians to respect what was about to take place and keep their peace.
He requested that those bearing weapons to leave the scene or take them
off, and especially demanded that no liquor should be brought to the
grounds. All his requests were religiously complied with.

"After the dummy was consumed the dance was kept up for several

hours. While the dancing was carried on an old buck, in way of accompani-
ment, shook violently an old oyster can filled with pebbles. The dummy
which I saw used represented an old squaw who was quite wealthy.    It was
richly dressed, and about $40 and several sacks of wheat and barley were
thrown away by the bucks.

"The scattering of the coin creates much commotion. As each
coin is thrown a general scramble follows. Whoever gets the money is
entitled to keep it.

Buried To The Chin.

"At the conclusion of the funeral services a distressing and
unnatural ceremony takes'place. The Indians believe that to insure a

girl becoming a good and virtuous woman, she must withstand a terrible

ordeal, which can only be administered after the conclusion of a fiesta

de los monos. But this is only administered by the consent of the parents
of the girl.  The victim I saw accept this religious obligation was a

rather pretty girl about 15 years old. A deep pit was made and in it a

fire started. The coals were taken out and the girl placed in the excava-
tion up to her neck. She was buried in that position, and about her head
and face was constructed a small wall of brush which excluded all view.
In this hole the poor child was compelled to remain from Friday evening
at 8 o'clock until 10 o'clock the following Sunday night. She was only
allowed to eat once a day and her food consisted of some acorn bread and

a cup of water. I saw the girl extricated, and when she was taken out she
was too weak to stand. The poor creature wore an awful expression on her

face, which plainly denoted that she must have suffered awful and excruciat-
ing pain. She was always attended by a score of people.

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"It is customary for a number of people belonging to a neighbor-
hg village to come to where the ceremony takes place and relieve those

lo watch the buried girl. When the neighbors leave they are given grain
td clothing, besides many presents. The home people do not leave the
Wrral, but sleep on the other side of the yard, rolled up in their

ankets. How long the girl would have been compelled to remain in the
vle before being voluntarily liberated, I did not learn. Her release,

puever, was occasioned by a dog fight. The canine squabble caused those

o watched the girl to abandon their posts and the sleeping Indians picked
their traps and left the grounds. This caused the mother of the girl
become angry. The girl was taken from the 'fiery furnace'."

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