, 1872-11-12

| y
on this threshing floor till the grain is well sep
arated. 1t is then Tinnowed by raEing the stray
| and tossing the chan in the wind. After this
they close the day with general horse race afte!
the fashion OF our agricultural fairs.
As our diamond hunters arc about to peopl:
the neighbo7ing country, is interesting to know
! that these Zuni Indians are friendly to white
| man, and that supplies can be had there. Tic
Valley OF the Rio Gtando ia we'll settled with
Mexican farmers and hcrdsmen. These and the
| Zunis will make common cauHe with the miners
against the plundering Apaches.
| Vhe Zunl indians never make wars Of aggreR-
sion. They stand on the defensive. But out.
side Indians fcnr them because of their superior
organization and means OF defence. Therefore,
] their quietude is seldom disturbed.
| The well-watered soil il O dark gravel1y loan.
They have ct all times excellent pasture, to the
use OF which travellers entering the diamond re-
| eion by the way OF Santa Fe and Albuquerque
are made welcome, on payment Of moderate
| charge. The houses Of these Zuni villages ara
well built Of stone. They are three stories high;
each ascending story recedea,so ito make o ter
! race in front
Those Zuni Indians are truly devout. Their
interior temples and altars, their priesthood
and ceremonials bear relationship not remote
from ours. Traces Of missionary influence arc
evident, but the leading faith OF the Aztec re-
ligion has not been changed. 1t ia al error to
say they worship the Sun. They worahip tho
Great Spirit who resides in that fitting centre OF
| traceable all earthly blessings, and beyond
which even Imagination finds no tracings.
To this earth aud it's brother worlds the
Great Spirit il an All-Seeing Eye, omniscient
and omnipIesent; and though our eight pene-
tratee the Universe and scans tan of millions Of
staF-suns, not one nor all these Buns combined
stands to us IN go Intimate and SO all-creative
and onnipotent relationship as tho Sun, which
Is Father to us a1one-and our system knows no
other, nor needs to look beyond. We have dog
Tnna lao No f5.nr {I,;a
to these primitive worshippers OF the Most High
This visible presence promoted devotion un-
known to prayer-book worship. Nothing is
more touching than the PROSTATE reverence they
pay to the Great Spirit at rise and set of sun
There III living earnestness in it to us utterly
unknown and inconceivable.
They claim descent from tho subjects ct
Montezuma. It will be remembered that tue
court aud tho temples Of the City OF Mexico
we're found By Cortez rich in gold and precious
where they get the precious stones has been
mystery. It seems probable that the ancestors
Of the present Zuni Indians were employed hy
Government in gathering the jewels which were
SO profuse in Mexico, and on the downfall Of
Mohtezuna some remained.
There Is such tradition among them In tho
history OF CoFtez's conquest, We are told that
there was prophecy in their sacred records that
Rale-faces would invade and conquer them. Tie
annts ' = nave aye, tradition resembling it, They
faced man, with white, flowing beard, would
come from the East, and restore them to 4 kin,
dom of refinement and happiness The trad1
ton intimates that the pale-faces will como. not
to take their lands, but to gather stones and
minerals; aud that the Great Spirit will lead
them, BY this attraction; that they come md
learn the true Deity, and where is tho new Homo
in whose Brightness they are to dwell with Him.
after their pilgrimage on earth. They are not
very communicative about precious stones but
they Intimate that the country OF rubics and
fher. But the range is very extensive, and runs
into Chihuahua.
Gearge Catlin, the great Indian traveller, de-
ecribes some pleces where he found families of
Abino Indians whose white hair touched the