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<br />REPORT OF AN EXPEDITION DOWN THE
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<br />'siRns, but no information could he,obtained from his real or
<br />affected stupidity., '
<br />At tbis point the river was two hundred and sixty-six yards
<br />widp.,with six leet or water in tlle deepest part; the bani,s
<br />bluff and sandy, about twelve feet high, and the current rapid;
<br />but a !lel1:3c growth of willows and weeds prevented me fi'om
<br />measnring ~ts velocity with any, degree of- ~tcc~rac'y' The
<br />presence 01 water seemed to ,afford tbe only rehef from our
<br />former privations, fllr the soil-an almost impalpable sand-
<br />bore nothiug but dry wcells and bnshes, and th~ whole scene
<br />presenkd the Inost perfect picture of desolation I have ever
<br />beheld, a.s if ;;olne filrocco had passed over the land, withering
<br />and scorching everything to crispness. ,
<br />From this point [ kid dcsig'1ed to explore the rivcr upwLird
<br />to the grf~at c;u1on, and determine accurately the mouth 'of
<br />the Hio Virgen, one of' its largest tributaries; but the exhausted
<br />condition or thc animals awl scanl)' supply of' provisions (the
<br />Party havirw been already several days 011 reduced rations)
<br />D I .
<br />compelled me re uclalJtly to forego my purpose.
<br />The whole country travArsed li'om the San Franci&co moun-
<br />tains ,vas barren anel devoid of interest. It consists of a suc-
<br />cession of lJlou~'tain r~1IIges and desert plains; tbe latter having
<br />an uvprage hClghl of about 5,000 feet above the level of the
<br />oceHn. The larger growth; almost exclusively of cedar, }vas
<br />confined to the mountains; and 111e scanty vegetation of the
<br />plains, parched by a long drought, f'urnished lew specimens
<br />Ii)!" the biltanist. ' ' ,
<br />NO/JcmlJC1" 7, Camp No. 33.-A' well-worn trail lcads down
<br />the j'ivl~r, by the side of which in several phlees were found
<br />traced on the ground Indian hieroglyphics, wh~ch Mr. Leroux
<br />and a l\lcxicLln of the party, who. had passed many years
<br />among the Comanches, interpreted into warnings to us to tUrIl
<br />back, and threat:; against our penetrating further into the coun-
<br />try. v,r e had not gone fiH before Indians were Seen in .front
<br />in considerable numbers, who appeared to be assembling to
<br />dispute nur advance. By the exchange ol'fi'iendly signs three
<br />of thelll, mounwd on fine borses, were induced to approach,
<br />whom a fi..~w presents snlliccd to convince of our peaceful in-
<br />tentions; and they joined the party and accompanied its
<br />march. As WI' proceeded tlwir number received accessions
<br />at e\'cry slt:p, nlll it it ;IITlounled to, some two hundred iIlen,
<br />WOlllcn, amI childn'n, \\"110 fi)llowed on fClOt, running by the
<br />side of tilL: Illuks, anti talking and IlIughing with everyap-
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<br />ZUNI AND coLORADO UlVERS.
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<br />19
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<br />p~arance of f~ie~dsh!p. In tbe evening the c~~p was crow~ed
<br />With them, bnnglllg III for harter smallquanllues of pumpkllls,
<br />beans, corn" and, in one or two instances, of wheat, which
<br />seem to be the staples of their food, for no animals, except a
<br />few horses, were seen among them; lInd the few sheep we .
<br />had left were the objects of great admiration, especially to the
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<br />women. ",
<br />, The appearance oflhe l\fohaves is striking, from their .unu-
<br />'sual stature, the men avernging at least si~tcet in height;
<br />and their" stalwart and athletic figures oflered a convincing
<br />pwof.of the excellence of a vegetable diet. Almost all the
<br />men were naked, with the exception of the br~ech-~loth. The
<br />hair, cut square across the brows in fi'ont, hung in loose braids
<br />behind, reaching fi'equently as low as the waist; occasionally
<br />it wasmutted all the top of thc head into a compact mass
<br />with mud, for the purpose of destroying the vermin that infest
<br />them. The only garment worn by the women was a long
<br />fringe of strips of willow bark wound around the waist, and
<br />falling fiS low liS the knees. No covering to the feet was worn
<br />by either sex. Their arms ~re .the bow c,lfld arr~w, the spear,
<br />and the club. The arrow IS formed 01 twp plece~: that to
<br />wbich the barb is attached of hard wood; seven inches long,
<br />or one-fourth the entirp lel~gth j and the otber of fl light reed
<br />thElt grows profusely along the banks of tbe river, feathered,
<br />as usual, at the extremity. The custom still prevails among
<br />tbcJJl of carryjng a firebrand in the hand in cold weather, which
<br />is mentioned in the account of Coronado's expeditioll in 1540,
<br />and induced those discoverers to giye to tbe river tbc name
<br />of Rio del Tizoo. 'Their lodges are rectangular, formed of
<br />upright pnsts imbc~ldl'd in the .grou~d, a~dr~dcly t~llltched. on
<br />the top and thr~e Sides, a porno.n of tbe ll1tenor alli.tude belllg
<br />sometimes obtallled by excavatIOn. I saw llone ot so great a
<br />size as those described in the acconi1l just relerred to.
<br />. NOt'elll~cr 8, Camp No. 34.-A large crowd ormcn, women,
<br />and chilaren continued to follow us, many of thcm carrying
<br />beans and pumpkins, and all urgent fllr us to encamp am?ng
<br />them, for tbe rurp?se, as they pave us ~o U1~derstand, of LraJIll~.
<br />I was mYi?eJl nnXIOllS to obtalll sllpphes from them; hut their
<br />numbers and importunity lUll} been so troublesome the day.
<br />before, that it was re:;olvcd to exclude them from the camp,
<br />a.nd to adopt some plan ,which shoul.d fiee us li'o/ll a rep~titioll
<br />of the annoyance. Be(ore unpacl\lng the mul~'s, ~herefor.e, a
<br />chain of sentinels was placed around thcm, With InstructIOns
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<br />~;~. ,~ti.._;/fo..o~,..'
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<br />1r.WlUiI"Jii~:jL~J;i.;,t~1~'i' iiil+t<,
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