The Sierra citizen., 1854-02-18
Strange Inhabitans cfthe Great Basin.

4
Captain Walker, the molltaineer, has
furnished an account of queer race o.
people, living at the Great Basin. He is
said to be the only white man who has Wis
tied them:
Through the very centre of the Great
Basin runs the Rio Colorado Chiquito, or
Little Red River. It takes its rise in the
mountains that skirt the right bank of the
Rio Grande, flows almost due west, and
empties into the Colorado at point on the
same parallel with Walkers Pass Aboat
one hundred miles north Of this and ru l.
ming almost parallel with tits the river ST..
Juan. Each of these streams is about le
hundred and fifty miles long. Between
an immense table land, broken occas;onaf-
ly by Sierras of no great length. which
shoot up above the general eleyation.-
About half way between the two rivers,
and midway in the wilderness, between The
Colorado and the Rio Grande, is the coun-
try of the Moquis. From the midst of the
plain rises abruptly on all sides butte of
considerable elevation, the top Of which is
as fat as if some great power had sliced off
the summit. Away up here the Moquis
have built three large villages, where they
rest at light, perfectly secure from the at
tacks of the fierce tribes who live to the
north and east of them. The sides of this
table mountain are almost perpendicular
cliffs, and the top can only be reached up
deep flight Of steps cut in the solid rock.
Around it's base is plain of arabic land,
which the Moluis cultivate with great
assiduity
''Here they raise all kinds of grain, mel
Ons and vegetables They have also num-
Der of orchards, of many kinds of fruit
trees. The peaches they raise are particu-
larly fine. They have large flocks of sheep
and goats, but very few beasts of burthen
or cattle. They are a harmless, inotfensive
race; kind and hospitable to strangers, and
make very little resistance when attacked
The warlike Navajos, who dwell in the
mountains to the northeast of them, are in
the habit of sweeping down upon them
every two or three years, and driving off
their stock. At such times they gather up
all that is movable from their farms. and
fly for refuge to their mountain stronghold.
Here their enemies dare not follow them
When a stranger approaches, they appear
on the top of the rocks and houses, watch
ing his movements One of their villages.
at which Captain Walker stayed for several
days, is over 600 yards long. The houses
are mostly built of stone and mortar; some
of adobe. They are very snug and COM
Portable, and many of them are two and
three stories high
'The inhabitants are considerably ad-
vanced in some Of the arts, and manufac-
ture excellent woolen clothing, blankets,
leather, basket work and pottery. Unlike
most of the Indian tribes in this country.
the women work within doors. the men per
forming all the farm and outdoor labor
As race they are lighter in color than the
Digger Indians of California; indeed the
women are tolerably fair, in consequence
of not being so much exposed to the sum-
The Moqnis cultivate the plain by day and
retire to their villages on the mountain at
night. They irrigate their lands by means
of the small streams running out of the side
of the mountains. Sometimes, when it fails
to snow on the mountains in winter. their
crops are bad. For this reason, they al
ways keep two or three years provision
laid up for fear of famine Altogether.
they are a most extraordinary people, far
in advance of any other aborigines yet dis
covered on this continent. They have never
had any intercourse with the whites, and
Of course their civilization originates with
themselves -