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PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR
No. 2{128 [184-?, RUIS, SAN ANTONIO DE BEXAR, TEXAS] "CO- MANCHES"; CUSTOMS AND CHARACTERISTICS 32 Comanches This is the most numerous tribe indians known in the territory of Texas - It is composed of various small tribes, such as Orientals or Eastern Comanches who are generally freiendly, and frequently v.isit Bexar and other parts of Texas for the purpose of trading Yampari- cus, who occupy the western parts of Texas, and frequently visit N Mexico - Juez and, Tanemaez, CuschuTexca (,Buffalo eaters) Z6nzori all of whom are wandering and live in tents of a conical form composed of poles set in the ground and covered with the skins of Buffalo - They live by the chase feeding on buffalo venison and fre- quently upon horse flesh They are all furnished with horses having large stocks of horses which they have collected from time immemoreal by robbing the Mexicans and neighboring tribes - They are very dex- trous horseman being accustomed to it from their infancy their parents rigging out with bow arrows shield &c even before the can walk and tying thm to the saddle - They are warlike making use of firearms, bows and arrows and lances, and some of them tomahawks and a species of warclub with a large head of stone a blow from which is generally fatal The sun is their god the father and the creator of all things, the earth the Mother, and the most solemn oaths they can make is to swear by them- For example, they wish to impress a person with the idea that what they say is true, they will say if what I say is not true, may the sun my father and the earth my mother forsake me- When they form an encampment, they invariably place their tents with the doors fronting towards the east, so that the suns first rays may enter, as they believe it to be the source from which they rececive every thing - Notwithstanding they worship the sun and they earth, each one,. like the Catholics, has his peculiar inferior deity such as the Buffalo, the Common Bull, the panther, the bear, the allegator the eagle &c which they paint upon the centre of their sheilds, believing that they will have the effect to avert the weapons of their enemies - The shield is of envious workmanship made of the hide of bulls and made very hard so as to prevent being peerced by the arrow or lance and is ornamented very curiously with feathers painting &c - Prob- able number of souls 20,000- 4 or 5,000 warriours - some say 40,000 souls but this is hardly probable - After the birth of a child thl' woman seperates from the husband until the child is weaned in order that by living in a state Chastity the child may be strong not be- liable to be rendered sicklv or feeble by the imprudence of their parents. for this reason polyP."amy is allowed and even encouraged - The shield itself is rather an object of won:hip. and when it is laid aside the arc unwilling that it should be toucheil by any one - The following is !riven for the benefit of the fair portion of our readers, and to show the customs of our race in a state of nature -
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