Page:The Pima Indians.pdf/275

270 As examples of the orthography and extent of these vocabularies, two are republished below.



During a stay of seven months among the Pimas not a single native song was ever heard from a man, woman, or child. This is in striking contrast with the writer's experience among most other tribes that have not been longer in contact with the whites. Not half a dozen individuals can be found in the upper villages who know any considerable number of the old songs. And yet the number of these songs is very great and most of them are by no means unpleasing even to a Caucasian ear. The songs are in series that are known to different individuals. Thus, the songs sung at the puberty dances are in series that are started by the first singer to arrive upon the scene in the evening. If another singer arrives first during the next evening the series of songs for the night is changed; though all belong to the general class of "menstrual songs." Sometimes a festival is inaugurated