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Show IN THE SEASON OF SAGUARO. 439 made the sign of the cross, 81 partly in Spanish; so that though I felt very angry at such general drunkenness, there did not fail me some gusto to hear the good expressions into which they burst, even when deprived of reason. The next day I complained of these excesses to the governor, who told me that it only happened a few times and in the season of saguaro, 32 and adding that it made his people vomit yellow and kept * " Se persinaban " in copy, obviously for se persignaban. n Otherwise sahuoro, etc., also pitahaya, petahoya, etc., the giant cactus or candelabra cactus, altogether the most conspicuous arborescence in many parts of New Mexico, Arizona, So-nora, and California. Its most frequent botanical name is Cereus giganteus, bestowed by Dr. Geo. Engelmann of St. Louis, first printed in 1858 on p. 158 of Emory's Reconn. of 1846* 47; but this is far from being its earliest designation. I doubt not the history of the plant could be traced back to the very earliest Spanish records. Modern descriptions and figures are innumerable; aside from botanical accounts, such as Engel-mann's in the Mex. Bound. Surv. Reports, a good notice may be read in Bartlett, Narr., ii, 1854, pp. 188- 193, fig. on p. 189. The Pimas and other Indians make a kind of fig- paste of the fruit, also a sort of molasses, besides the intoxicating drink Garces mentions. Salvatierra says, that the petahaya months among some Indians " resemble the carnival in some parts of Europe, when men are in a great measure stupefied or mad. The natives here, also, throw aside what little reason they have, giving themselves up to feastings, dancings, entertainment of the neighboring rancherias, buffooneries, and comedies, such as they are; and in these whole nights are spent to the high diversion of the audience." It should be observed, regarding the two names saguaro and pitahaya, that both are applied by some 1 |