Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1854-04-18

| should erelong have realized The Sybarite's s
complain, ofhis crumpled rose leaf. ais 3
sx From the, San Francisco Herald.
a Strange Race I'm California.
Through The very center OF the Great Ba.
sin, runs ihe Rio Colorado, Chiqui.o or Lit.
lie Red River. lt,akes lis rise in the noun.
,ains ,ha. skir, the right bank Of The Rio
Grande, flows almos, due west, and emp.ies
into The Colorado, at point on the same
parallel OF latitude with Walkers Pass
About 100 miles north of this and running
parallel with /, is the river San Juan. Each
Of these streams are aoout $50 miles long
Between them stretches an immense table
land, broke occasionally by Sierras Of no
grea. length which shoot up above the gen.
eral elevation. About half way in the will
derness between the Colorado and The Rio
Grande, is the country Of Moquis. From
the midst Of The plain rises abruptly on all
sides Butte OF considerable elevation, the
top Of which is as flat as ilsome grea, pow
er had sliced off the summit. %" '''
Away up here The Moquis have built three
large villages, where they rest at night per.
fec,ly secure from the attacks of The fierce
tribes wholive north and east Of them. The
sides Of this table are almost perpendicular
cliffs, and The top can only be reached up O
flight OF steps cut in The solid rock. Around
It's base is plain Of arabic land which the
Moquis cultivate with great assidui.y.-
Here they raise all kinds of grain, melons
and other vegetables. They have also Q
number of orchards filled with many kind:
of frui, trees. The peaches they raise, Cap.
Walker says are particularly fine. They
have large hocks Of sheep and goats. bu'
very few beasts Of burden or cattle. They
are harmless inoffcnsve race--kind and
hospi,able 10 strangers, and make very liule
resistance when attacked. The warlike
Navaioes who dwell in the mountains 10 the
norlh.ea Of them are in the habit Of sweep.
ing down upon Them every Two or three
years, and driving off their s,ock.
A, such times they gather up all that is
movable from their farms, and fly for ref
uge TO their mountain stronghold. Here the
enemy dare no, follow them. When a
stranger approaches they appear on the top
of The rocks and houses watching his move
men,s. One Of their villages at which Capt
Walker stayed for several days is five o.
six hundred yards long. The houses are
generally built Of stone and mortar some o
adobe. They are very snug and com(orta
Bile, and many OK them are Two and three sto
ries high The inhabitants are considerabl,
advanced in some Of The arts, and munurac
ture excellent woolen clothing, blankets
leather, basket work and pottery. Unlike
most Of lhe Indian tribes of this country
women work within door, the men perform
ing all The farm and out door labor.
As a race, they are lighter in color thai
the Digger Indians of California. Indee,
the women are tolerably fair, in consequence
Of not being exposed to the sun. ANON
them Capt. Walker saw three perfec,l
white, with white hair and yellow eyes,
He saw TWO others al The Zuni villages, nea
the Rio Grande. They were no doub, Al
binos and probably gave rise TO the rumor
which have prevailed Of the existence o
white Indians in the Basin.
The Moquis have probably assisted natur
in evelIing The top Of the mountain as a sit
for their villages. They have cut down III
rocks in many places, and have excavate,
out Of the rocks number Of large rooms 70
manufacturing woolen cloth. Their onl
arms are bows and arrows, although the
never war with any tribe. The Navajoe
carry off their stock wilhou, any opposition
Blu, unlike almost every other party Of In
dians on The continent, they are scrupulous
ly honest. Capt. Walker says the mos, a,
,ractive and valuable articles may be lei
exposed and they will no, touch them.
| Many Of the women are beautiful, Wi,
forms Of symmetry. They are very net
and clean, and dress in quite piciuresqu
costume Of their own manula,ure. The
wear a dark robe with red border, grace
fully draped, so as to leave their arm an
shoulder bare. They have most beau,i(i
hair, which they arrange with great care
The condition Of female may be know
by the manner Of dressing the hair. Th
virgins parl their hair in the middle benin,
and twist each parcel around hoop six
eight inches in diameter. This is nicel
smoolhed and oiled, and fastened on eac
side Of the head like large roseue. TIL
effect is very striking. Themarried wome
wear their hair twisted into club benin,
! The Moquis farm in the plain by day ar
retire 10 their village on the mountain
: night They irrigaIe their lands by mea.
ol the small streams running out the sid
Of the mountains. Sometimes. when i. fai
to snow on the mountains in the winle
their crops are bad. For this reason the
always keep Two or three years provision
! for fear Of famine. Altogether they are
!, most extraordinary people, far in advance
d any other aborigines yet discovered on I'll
: continent. They never had intercour
0 with The whites, and of course their civiIiz
: ton originated with themselves. Wha.
Q field here is for the adventurous traveller