if a quantity of tesvino were not set
aside for them. In fact, there is absolutely no act of importance
that is not, in one way or another, connected with the drinking of
this beer. Never is a jar commenced unless some of the liquor is
sacrificed before the cross, for the gods are believed to be as fond
of the beer as are mortals. Rain cannot be obtained without tesvino;
tesvino cannot be made without corn; and corn cannot grow without
rain. This, in a nutshell, is the Tarahumare's view of life.

There are many occasions during the year, especially during the winter
time, when regular symposiums are held, generally inside of the house;
but the people never drink tesvino unless there is some purpose to
be attained, be it luck in some undertaking, or good crops, or the
health of the family, or some similar benefit. They may dance yumari
for a little while at any of these functions.

It is the custom to appoint one man to distribute the liquor among
the guests. In doing this the host offers to the chosen one three
drinking-gourds full of tesvino, which the latter empties, and he
enters upon his duty by giving to every man present three gourds
in succession and to every woman four. The guests, although from
politeness hesitating between each gourd-ful, are only too delighted
to comply with this inviolable rule, which speaks eloquently for
their constitutions.

The seat beside the distributer is the most coveted. I, too, was always
glad to get it, because it gave me the best chance to observe the
behaviour of the Indians at the feasts. The dispenser establishes
himself close to the big jar, and being immensely popular with
everybody he is never left alone. The geniality of the Tarahumares,
their courteousness and politeness toward each other in the beginning
of a feast, is, to say the least, equal to that of many a civilised
gentleman. When the cup is offered to anyone, he most urgently
protests and insists that the distributer shall drink; often this
remonstrance is heeded, but the gourd is never emptied; something
is always left in it, and this the guest has to take, and a second
gourdful is immediately held out to him. Though he again refuses, he
generally allows himself to be persuaded to drink it, and this mock
refusing and urging goes on as long as they have their wits together.

To my knowledge, this beer is not known outside of the Tarahumare
tribe and their immediate neighbours, the northern Tepehuanes, the
Tub