The weekly Arizona miner., 1870-01-01
Tl1s ' SNinsr.
INDIAN TRADITIONS.
Story of the Deluge on this Continent.
lrOm the Detroit Po.tl

nfIIlts Ut itdNL Ilpt III itc DItctUl rNbDts lt was related by Captain Cou Ouan, an aged and intelligent member of the tribe, and was taken down from his lips by an interpreter for Judge Henry T. Backus, of Arizona Ter ritory, and formerly of this city. Judge Backus has visited many of the places men tioned in the legend, and has been an eye witness of the quadrennial feast still cele- brated at the cave. He represents the Pa pagoes as being nominally Catholics, yet clinging to their national traditions with great tenacity, and chershing the memory of Montezuma with even more than saintly ven eration.
 This tradition of the deluge is interesting in it's relation to the origin of the Indians of this country, and especially the ancient tribes who lived in the twilight of civilization, un- til the Spanish Christians annihilated them. Did they bring this tradition with them from the Asiatic Continent Or was there a dis tinct deluge upon this continentl Or did they come in contact with people of the old world, antecedent to any historical evidence of that fact, from whom they derived this traditioni
 These are inquiries naturally suggested by the following narrative, Montezuma, it will be understood is not the monarch of that name whom Cortez dethroned. It is the gen eric term of their rulers, like Pharoah, Caesar, etc:
 Before the flood men lived to a great age, so that they lost their teeth and crept about like children. After a time they would get new teeth, and walk upright again like men in the prime of life. Then it was that the Great Spirit created the mountain and peo- pied the earth on all sides. Then, too, ami mals talked like men, and were the first to .r .t time appeared MonteZuma, who collected large quantity of gum, from $ plant called chuchi, and with this gum, which is said to be nsolnble in water, and with other mate rials, he built large vessel, in which he took refuge, closing and scaling the door behind him. In like manner a eayote or prairie dog -cTsp: into large cane stalk and closed the ends against the water The flood came up to the highest mountains, and reached even the birds, which cried, like men, with fright. When the waters went down, Mon tezuma and the cayote landed at Cerro Prietta, which mountain some believed to be Montezumas vessel.
 According to another tradition they landed in the centre of the earth, and having come out of their vessels, Montezuma noticed the trail of beetle, which he followed until he found the beetle fast in the mud. He then turned back and meeting the cayote, they em- br.ced each other in grief Montezuma sent the cayote southward to find the sea, which it soon found and returned, when it was sent on the same errand to the northward, but re- turned unsuccessful They then lay down to sieep when Montezuma dreamed that he should form man and woman of clay, which he accordingly did, making two for each na- ton. Meanwhile the cayote set behind him also making men, but the latter were ill., formed, so that Montezuma ordered them to be removed. His own people multiplied rap idly, and built a large city on the north bank of river, supposed to be at the mouth o Salt River, in Arizona, where the remains o large ditches are still visible.
 sfoTitezums Bex. travelled :cathw.rd, fcl lowed by a large number of people. In ac cordance with dream, he thrust a rod int the earth, and water flowed thence, which Ii the origin of the springs of Santa Rosa anC elsewhere After time the Great Spirit ap peared to Montezuma as an old man, anc asked to baptize the people that they migh live beyond the sky after death. But Mon tezuma became angry and killed the Grea Spirit. Then the latter arose from the deaC by night, and repeated the request, whel Montezuma grew angry again, declared h. would take his people to heaven by a tower and killed the Great Spirit second time leaying him on the ground, where he Wa dragged about as a plsything for four years He then returned to heaven, removing tn sun farther from the earth as he ascended.
 After long interval he descended agai with the same request as before. At thi time Montezuma was living at the Gas Blanche. or white house. close to the Pim villages of the GiIa river The inside of thi house was oyerlaid with pare gold. A thir time he slew the Great Spirit, but the latte now becoming angry, threw louse int Spain, which led to an invasion by the Span iards Twice did Montezuma meet and re pei the invaders, but before the third engage ment the golden ring flew from the finger ( his daughter to the finger of the Spanis commander, and the silver ring of the latte flew to the finger of the former. Thus di she become leagued with the enemy, an when they were out of provisions she pre vailed upon her people to throw them tozaaf instead of arrows, and thus they were fed q Monteznma's expense. After severe conflict the Spaniards were victorious, when the tra toress princess demanded the hand of th Commander in marriage. He agreed to thi on condition that an eagle, which he set fre' should ahght on prickly pear tree. Tn eagle did so, and the Commander started celebrate the marriage at the pear tree, bein followed by large train of Papagoes, bl under the pretext of getting yolins, powde etc, he travelled o0 and on until all the Ind ans deserted him. ..... .....,
 Henceforth, as the story goes, Montezun made no improvements, and his people wei scattered all over the country. He ale wards deposited the archieves of the Papae and Pima nations in a cave near Sants Kos and ordered that they celebrate least the