, 1853-11-12

VerIclly cannot be questioned by any one
acquainted with him. 1t is admitted by al
trappers, that he is better acquainted than
any living man with the intricacics Of all
the hills, and the streams that lose them
selves in the Great Basins 4 say Basins
because there are many of them.) While
trapping on the tributaries OF the Colorado
an Indian Offered. to guide Mr.. B idger and
party to a people living far in the Desert
with whom they could barter.
A." The proposition was accepted ; and
after providing themselves with dried meat.
and water, they struck right into the heat
Of that Great Desert, where no white mar
before or has since trodden, and which the
hardy mountaineers will only venture tC
skirt. After five days travel the party ar.
rived at three mountains, Or Buttes, rising
in grandeur in that solitary waste. These
mountains were covered with a diversity ol
forest and fruit trees, with streams Of fpuresI
water ripping down their d1clIyiti,s. AT
their base was a numerous agricultural peo-
pie, surrounded with waving fields of corn
and profuson of vegetables. The people
were dressed in leather-th,y knew moth
ing Of fire arms, using only the bow and
arrow and for mile after mile, circling
these Buttcs, were adobe houses, two and
three stories high. Mr.. Bridger was not
allowed to enter any of their towns or
houses, and after remaining three days, bar
tering scarlet cloth and iron for their furs,
he left them not, however, without before
being given to understand that they held no
communication with any people beyond
their desert home. That these ale the
same people who once inhabited the banks
Of the ella and the Colorado, and left those
monuments ofwondw, the " Casas Grande," ,"
which so deeply attracted the followers of
Fremont and Douiphan, and then vanished
as a dream, there can no longer be doubt.
Their adobe houses attest it.
Months after this conversation with Mr..
Bridger, had another with Mr.. Papin, the
agent OF the American Fur Company. He
told me that another Of the party, Mr..
Walker, the muuntaineer, after whom one
of the mountain passes is named, and who
is known 10 be a man Of truth, had given
him the same description of these isolated
people-and in my mind there is not the
shadow Of doubt Of their existence.
"The subject is one replete with interest
10 the antiquarian, as well as to all others
and | am in strong hope that the recent
discovery in the Colorado country will
have the effect of speedily bringing to light
and to the knowledge of the world, not only
the existence of these people in their desert
home, but also their origin and history"
STRANGE PEOPLE IN THE wILDERNEss-THE
MoQUIs.
The people here spoken of, we are in
clined to believe, are the Moquis-a race Of
people residing in The great Basin, who an
swer in many particulars to the description
given by Bridger and Papin. We believe
that Capt. Joe Walker, the veteran noun.
taiueer and trOpper, is the only white man
in this country that has ever visited this
strange people, and from him we gathered
in the course of long conversation, most
interesting account of their country and
manners. The most implicit confidence
may be placed in all his statements. He is
entirely free from that habit of romancing
and exaggerating which we onen find
among great travellers
Through the very centre Of the Great
Basin runs the Rio Colorado Chiquito or
Little Red River. 1t takes rise in the
mountains that skirt the right bank Of the
Rio Grandc, flows almost due west, and
empties into the Colorado at point on the
same parallel Of latitude with Walkers
Pass. About 100 mills north Of this, and
running almost parallel with it, is the river
San Juan. Each of these streams is about
$50 miles long. Between them stretches
an immense table land, broken occasionally
by Sierras of no great length, which shoot
up above the general elevation. About
half way between the two rivers, and mid
way in the wilderness between the Colora-
do and the Rio Grandc, is the country OF
the Moauis. From the midst Of the plain
rises abruptly on all sides a Butte of consd-
cradle elevation, the top of which is as flat
as if somo great power had sliced oil the
summit. Away up here the Moquis have
built three large villages, where they rest
at night perfectly secure from the attacks
of the fierce tribes who live TO the north
and cast of them. The sides Of this table
mountain are almost perpendicular cliffs
and the top can oply be reached up steel
fight of steps, cut in the solid rock
Around its base is a plain of arabic land
which the Moquis cultivate with great ASST
duty. Here they raise all kinds Of grain
melons and vegetables. They have also
number of orchards, filled with many kind
of fruit trees. The peaches they raise
Capt. Walker says, are particularly fine
They have large llocks of sheep and goats
but very few beasts Of burden or cattle
They are a harmless, inoacnsiye race-kn'
and hospiiable to strangers, and make very
little resistance when attacked. Tho war
| like Navajocs who dwell in the mountain,
In the North east of them, are IN the haO'
Of sweeping down upon them every two Oh
IL, ,.c,rs and driving of their stock