Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-02
The Azfec G,nuntrx-

correspondent of the Salt Lake Herald,
| travelling IN Arizona, gives the following
| From Indian tradition and the meagre history
available the accepted theory is that, during the
| Spanish conquest, the Aztecs were driven from
| Mexico into the vast deserts lying to the north
and west, and from thence across the Colorado
| river. Proof of this is still visible in the many
| remains OF cities and towns scattered through,
out New Mexico and Arizona, and even in Utah.
| On the northern side of the Colorado and Green
rivers the canyon walls are found decorated with
hleroglyphlcs and picture writing, the meaning
OF which is totally unknown to the Indians at
present inha6iting that region. On the tops of
almost inaccessible cliffs, and down into horri-
Die chasms, the remains of large towns may still
De found, crumbling to dust. Peace loving and
industrious as were this race, they were soon
attacked by the warlike nomadic tribes; and
unable to cope with their powerful enemies in
open field, the poor Aztecs took refuge among
the deep canyons and chasms OF the river. Here
up the sides Of the canyon walls, whose vertical
height is from three to five thousand feet, are
yet found the remains of their houses.
The present inhabitants of the Moqui Pablos
do not number over fifteen hundred They are
situated in the northern part of5Arzona, about
one hundred miles southeast of the Paria cross
ing OF the Colorado. The towns, seven in num-
Der, are built upon cliffs or plateaus, twelve to
fifteen hundred feet above the valley, which they
cultivate to some extent, raising corn, pump
kins, melons, etc. There is a great scarcity of
wood, which is brought distance of from seven
to ten miles by the women, who carry it on their
backs. have often seen train OF ten or twelve
OF these women, with great piles of wood and
brush fastened upon their backs, coming across
the valley in Indian file and with celebrity that
would do credit to a mule pack train. For
water they rely mostly upon their reservoirs,
which in many places are cut out of the rocks,
with steps all around descending to the bottom.
They are formed like bowl ten TO fifteen feet
nd q lfrftr roo+ he -
Mee-shom.o-neah we found series of these
reservoirs along the side of the cliff, just below
the town. They were supplied by large spring
and when the upper one oveTfiowed it filled the
next one, and so on down. The lower ones were
used for watering sheep and other stock, while
the upper ones were kept for the use Of the peo-
pie.
Their ideas of cleanliness may be Judged of
from the following: We were camped close by
them and other reservoirs nearly all the time
during our stay among the villages. Early in
the morning a cOncourse of women would come
out with large water jugs strapped on their
backs with blankets, the corners tied over the
forehead Entering the water up TO their knees
they VIII I'LL their jugs, and placing them on
the bank return and wash their faces and hands,
and sometimes wash all overall the time laugh
ing and splashing in tn water like a lot of
ducks. AS this is kept up until about eight
O'Clock, and as there is upwards of about fifty
visitors TO the pools, one would naturally think
that the last corners would get anything but
pure water; yet the last jugfull is used for the
same purpose as the first-viz: cooking and
drinking during the day. In some things the
Azlecs are the cleanest Indians have ever met,
and in Others they are the very extreme. Their
houses and clothing are kept scrupulously clean,
and their provisions served up in beautiful
dishes OF their own manufacture would indeed
DC tempting were it not for the "dread of
something heretofore instead of something here
after"
At the Moincoppi we found Tuba and his wife,
Ie-ash-nim-ki. They, with half dozen other
families, some from Oryba and one or two from
Moquiville, are building up new settlement
Discarding the antiquated ways of their people,
they are trying to emulate the whites and rise
above the present state Of their degradation.
The Aztec people, naturally intelligent and in
dustrious, are fast dying out for the want of the
helping hand of civilization. This is field for
the missionary unequaled in the world, and
when SO near at home why send so many thous-
and miles abroad2 The word "MoquP means
die" the world has called them the dying
Cite" -Moquis Pablos-which is in reality be-
ing verified