When the man is at home, and neither sleeping nor eating, he may sit down and make a bow or some arrows; or, stretched out on his back, he may resort to his favourite amusement, playing his home-made violin.  Like all Indians of Mexico, the Tarahumares are fond of music and have a good ear for it.  When the Spaniards first came, they found no musical instruments among the Tarahumares except the short reed flute, so common to many Mexican tribes, the shaman’s rattle, and the rasping stick.  But they soon introduced the violin and even the guitar, and throughout Mexico the Indians now make these instruments themselves, using pine wood and other indigenous material in their construction, sometimes with remarkable skill and ingenuity, and for glue the juice of a certain lily root.  Having no idea of the value of money, they frequently sell a tolerably good instrument for fifty or even twenty-five cents.

Toward evening the Tarahumare father of a family gets more talkative and chats with his wife, and then

        “The day is done, and the darkness
        Drops from the wings of night
        As a feather is wafted downward
        From an eagle in his flight.”

And as the shadows deepen, he wraps himself closer in his blanket, and before he knows it childlike slumber enfolds him.  Frequently he grows hungry in the middle of the night, and reaches out for food, as well as for his violin, devoting himself to music for half an hour, before he drops off to sleep again.

There are more women in the tribe than men, and they are looked upon as of less importance.  There is a saying among the people that one man is as good as five women.  Her prayers are not of as much value as his, because she prays only to the moon, and her deity is not as big as his, the sun.  For this reason her place is behind the man in all dances.  Yet she occupies a comparatively high position in the family, and no bargain is ever concluded until the husband has consulted his wife in the matter.  I am bound to say, however, that on such occasions every member of the household, even the youngest and smallest child, is asked to give an opinion, and, if one of the little tots objects, the sale will not be closed.  In such cases there is nothing for the customer to do but to try to influence the young business man who raised the objection, not directly, but through his parents.  This accounts for a good deal of the frightful loss of time incurred in dealing with these Indians.  The purchase of a sheep may require two days, and the negotiations concerning an ox may extend over an entire week.

That a woman of intelligence and character is appreciated even among barbarians is proven by the fact that once a woman was made gobernador, or chief, because “she knew more than men.”  She did not assume the title, but she is said to have ruled with more wisdom and justice than many of her predecessors and successors.

Husband and wife never show their affection in public except when drunk.  Parents kiss their little ones on the mouth and on the stomach, and the youngsters express their love for each other in the same way.  On some occasions I have seen lovers sitting closely together, she holding on to his forefinger.  The women are of a jealous disposition.