Dana, Richard Henry, 1815-1882; Sailors; Seafaring life; Voyages and travels
off of the ends of their tongues, and a continual slabbering sound is
made in the cheeks, outside of the teeth. It cannot have been the
language of Montezuma and the independent Mexicans.
Here, among the huts, we saw the oldest man that I had ever seen; and,
indeed, I never supposed that a person could retain life and exhibit
such marks of age. He was sitting out in the sun, leaning against the
side of a hut; and his legs and arms, which were bare, were of a dark
red color, the skin withered and shrunk up like burnt leather, and the
limbs not larger round than those of a boy of five years. He had a few
grey hairs, which were tied together at the back of his head; and he
was so feeble that, when we came up to him, he raised his hands slowly
to his face, and taking hold of his lids with his fingers, lifted them
up to look at us; and being satisfied, let them drop again. All
command over the lid seemed to have gone. I asked his age, but could
get no answer but "Quien sabe?" and they probably did not know the age.
Leaving the mission, we returned to village, going nearly all the way
on a full run. The California horses have no medium gait, which is
pleasant, between walking and running; for as there are no streets and
parades, they have no need of the genteel trot, and their riders
usually keep them at the top of their speed until they are fired, and
then let them rest themselves by walking. The fine air of the
afternoon; the rapid rate of the animals, who seemed almost to fly over
the ground; and the excitement and novelty of the motion to us, who had
been so long confined on shipboard, were exhilarating beyond
expression, and we felt willing to ride all day long. Coming into the
village, we found things looking very lively. The Indians, who always
have a holyday on Sunday, were engaged at playing a kind of running
game of ball, on a level piece of ground, near the houses. The old
ones sat down in a ring, looking on, while the young ones--men, boys
and girls--were chasing the ball, and throwing it with all their might.
Some of the girls ran like greyhounds. At every accident, or
remarkable feat, the old people set up a deafening screaming and
clapping of hands. Several blue jackets were reeling about among the
houses, which showed that the pulperias had been well patronized. One
or two of the sailors had got on horseback, but being rather
indifferent horsemen, and the Spaniards having given them vicious
horses, they were soon thrown, much to the amusement of the people. A
half dozen Sandwich Islanders, from the hide-houses and the two brigs,
who are bold riders, were dashing about on the full gallop, hallooing
and laughing like so many wild men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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