, 1885-02-07
NINE SCORE YEARS.
VERY AGED INDIANS LIVING IN AN
ARIZONA VALLEY


A@AA n ANAA- AuNNNINtNNI
DR.. Levi +. Gcorge was Interviewed the
other day concerning the Moqui Indians OF
AriEonn. whom he recently visited. Said
he. Il VIII describe tho particular trfba Of
tho uoquis In which ! discovered The most
remarkable cases Of long life They are
called the Wakoyns and comprise about $50
people, males and lemalsx. or fhsss there
arc only about 70 children, about 90 middle
aged persons, and tho rest include at least 10
ceutenarlanz. They do not interminxle with
the rowing bands Of navnges. preferrfng a
fixed hahitation In their little viliage In the
valley OF the Chauzaka river. ono OF tho
hundreds Of small streams tributary to the
Colorado. They dwell in stone houses or
hutz. ngags in agricultural pursuits to a
limited extent and onjoy many Of tho arts OF
civilization. They arr, nevertheless, very
secluded In their little punch-bowl OF a
valley.
weeks ago. The chief proved 10 DO Of an
obliging disposition and showed US all about
the village We were followed by a crowd
OF young Wakoyas. and were proceeded by
tho chief, while around US barksd and
howled a number q dogs, with which the
village abonnded After proceeding a short
distance wo paused before the door OF a low
stone hut, covered with a skin roof, the
cracks In tho walls being hlled with brown
adobe. Our leader entered without going
through tho ceremony Of knocking. Mnskeel
Muskeep we hoard him shout repeatedly
from within But Muskos was owl.
dently not at home, n the chief
cnmo back with n disappointed look ON
his dark face We met tho object Of our
search about twenty yards from his door,
and were presented 10 him In Indian fashion.
He appeared TO marvel at our unexpected
appearance, but his nsfonlshment was moth
ing compared to ours as we gazed at his
strange and unnatural form Hia shoulder
and limbs were clothed with doerskin robes,
and his face, which seemed to be barren OF
flesh, was covered with dry, wrinkled skin;
his fingers were extremely long and his
palms and wrists were withered and
~shrunken, while his whole body, which was
much nttenuated, was bent over until his
back assumed the shape Of a half-circle. l
had mover seon such a specimen Of aged
humanity bofore."
Did you discover his agoT' inquired the
interviewer.
Our Moqui guide, who spoke English
almost perfectly and whose verncity we had
tested on previous occasions. told Us. after
making the necessary inquiry, that the
man was 10 years old, and / have not the
slightest doubt nor would any one have
inter seeing tho anciont Wakoya, that such
WINS indeed his age. After looking at US for
some few moments, during which he rested
his chin heavily upon the long staff which he
clutehed with ono OF his dried-up hands, he
mumblcd a few words in answer to question
put by the chief and our Interpreter, and
then. rising his head and stretching out his
limbs BIO shambled of toward his hut at o
tolerably smart pace for a man Its years
old.
"But tho greatest surprise was yet TO come.
We we're ushered into a rudely-constructed
stone building Of greater dimensions than
those before visited in the village. It was
almost dark inside, and tho room wns III
smelling and close. When our eyes became
accustomed to tho dim light We saw a skin
clad figure kneeling In one corner OF the
room and engaged in breaking light sticks
Of wood into small faggots We were told
that IL was a woman whom tho chief had
brought US TO see, and that she had not
noticed our approach, being blind and deaf
The chief placed HIS hand on her shoulder,
and she slowly turned around. 1 could NOT
seo quito plainly, and was at onco struck
with n feeling OF responsiveness almost akin
to the horror one feels toward visions seen
In n nightmare when her hideous face and
blank, unlen Eyes met my gaze. Her face
wns OF a greonish-yellow color, and what lit.
tie there wns left OF flesh or skin chung TO
her bones as though stuck there by some nd.
hosive compound. II bore a parched, desic-
Gated appearance, like tho outer flesh OF a
mummy. The lower jaw, which was devoid
Of teeth. obtruded considerably beyond thu
angle of her sharp, hooked nose. Her arms
appeared to be almost bare Of any heshy It's
sue, and tho skin covering them was dry and
hard. She Is is2 years old This places her
two years beyond tho reputed ago Of the
patriarch Isaac at the time Of his death, and
she must have first seen the light In 170s~or
seventy. four years before tho signing Of tho
declaration Of Independence
ibid you learn her namofn
aThe people Of tho village call her Wat
suma- She has only one living relative, q
great-grandson, who Is 50 years OF age.
slow has the record Of her years been
keptfr
"In tho immemorial fashion Of this tribe
by punching small round holes In a piece Of
smoothly polished horn at the end Of each
twelve month Iexprossed a dszire 10 see
the record OF Watsuma's age. AT first she was
very backward about producing IT, but
finally directed her young attendant in a
slow. hoarpe speech TO 20 and bring II to her,
which was done, and then, without allow
ing rs % take Il from her bony fingers, she
hold It up for inspection Tho 1852 holss were
counted by our wondering party, and the
ancient relic was replaced In Its position In
nn inner recess in tho wall Of the howell"