Arizona miner. [volume] (Fort Whipple, Ariz.) 1864-1868, 1864-04-20

emerging from the barbarism OF a nomadic race.
Or were they seFis to the more lordiy race, whose
mighty works on the ella, the Salinas, and the
Verde, challenge even now, our admiratiJn aud
whose bravery viii live as long as Corte2 is re
or Prescott read Who can answer u
All We know is, that for three hundred years, they
have lived here, patient Flooding and industrious,
never BUILDING wall, or making an adobe living
or rather sleeping in low Jackall huts, whose
entrance always points TO the east, with thel
fidelity OF the needle to the pole waiting iUT the
coming OF Montezuma. They have no religion
OF priesthood, save this sublime faith, and no
religious ceremonial unless the harvest dances
can be so construed. The Jesuits never at any
time got footing among them. Their form of
civil government is simple and seems adequate to-
their needs. There are eleven villages, nine prln-
cipal ones, and two smaller ones attached to
others; the villages are under the general man.
aeement OF Chief Captain, and in some, they
have Captains for acequias, for the land and for
war The power of the Nation is vested IN
grand COUNCIL, the young warrior gets the right
TO sit silently here, by killing few Apaches, and
further success gives him a voice and vote
The Chiestiancy 10 not hereditary, although the
present chief is son of the preceding one he was
appointed before his fathers death, at the fathers
Iequest, and is now chief 10 little but name
Murder is punished or rather avenged by the
family of the deceased Theft is common, and
does not seem TO be- punished at all. although the
stolen property is reclaimed wherever found
The law OF descent ls simple, all the laDd is
owned by the women, aud they alone inherit to
their Mother A mans personal property is all
burned at his death, even to bls house, in the
belief that it enrlches the deceased in the next
world.
When warrior dies, the Nation mourus, aud
imposing obsequies are performed. After his
death, bfs family take possession ofthe body, aud
with q rieata or hide rope, tie up the body pass
ing the rieata under the knees, around the neck.
drawing the legs mp to the chin. 1t IL then
buried with the head toward the east, and the
grave covered with brush to keep the coyotes off
-Four days after, professions are formed at each
eod OF the chain Of villages in this order first
women clad simply in the Tapa, or cloth wrapped
ahont the loirs second warriors in the fu pen-
oply q aF, lastly, Dea 81 horsei,ack IL old men,
farmers &c. The two Z, ocsesloC meet near Casa
Blanca the women part 30 the Il Ut and left III
warriors adssBce to the front, bait az old man
n0@ grasps battered UanGeF attached 70 bong
stat @hich assists bis lotkeFgg steps as he
advances 70 the open spuce. and 10 trembling
accents recounts the virtues OF the departed as
| he proceeds, prolonged vail goes up from the
assembled Nation. Afterwards they proceed TO
the grave, pear by which Romada Is erected
| Ia Fomada rs brush shed resting on pOles), un-
der which, baskets Of wheat are placed. The
circle completed around the grave, the women
SOW the wheat over it, and sprinkle it over the
heads OF those present This IS, that he may
have bread In the next world Then ar old mao
advances, pulls of his blankets, or some other
valuable thing, and throws il down for the be-
ginning OF the iuneral pile. others follow, and soon
the rush becomes general, every one throws on
something beads, blankets. saddles and every
/ DESCRIPTION OF personal property Sometimes the
women strip off their 1spa, AID throw that on to
the blazing pile, which often reaches thoGsands
! of dollars 10 value. This consumed, the ceremony
| Is over Beads, in some way are sacred those
auconsumtd in the funeral pile, are carefully
gathered, and buried with the deceased
4 Their mode of courtship is for the swain TO
serenade the damsel, and ii she is agreeable, she
comes out to hlm, and they go together TO her
pafents the lover then makes the family pres
ent, according to bis means, for instance horse
i There are few who have more than one wife
but 1t is contrary 10 the habit Of the people, and
'IrepugDant To their sense of right The Pima
women are proeerbial tor their chastity. 1t ID
4 against their custom to marry outside the tribe
aud constant intermarriage is degenerating them
physically. The Maricopas, whose habits and
lcustoIDs differ materially from the Pima, are
/ much more robust race, and are vastly more war
/ ike The Pima mas an old custom that com
peis him to return from war party as coon al
}, blood 10 shed, for the reason, he says that al
soon as the Apache knows he is in his country
there is 10 use following the wsr-path The
II Pimas have hdeous habit of pIastering up thei
II heads With CLAW maIjcDus peoDle hint that IL is