St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-05-08
THE MoQUIS.
A Visit to the Largest and Least-KnowI
Pueblo Indian Village.

SOlOIlel OdUucS SltNeHSOH, oI lIfe IDu
reau of Ethnology, has returned tc
Washington after a sojourn Of about
six months among the Indians o:
Arizona, bringing a carload of rare
and valuable curios, illustrative of the
social habits, worship and industries
of various tribes of which little i.
known. He was accompanied in his
travels by Mrs. Stevenson, and the paiI
had an adventure among the Pueblo
Indians quite unusual in its character.
Having explored some newly-diseov.
cred cave villages in the vicinity OF
Flagstaff, Arizona. they gathered 6
small party and struck across the
desert to the northeast for the Moqui
towns. several days journey distant.
They arrived safely, and encamped at
the foot of a high mesa, upon the top
of which stands Oreibe, the largest,
westernmost and least known of all the
Pueblo towns. Its population is
about eight hundred and fifty souls.
and the village is a compact mass of
rubble structures. standing one upon
another, like pile of empty boxes,
and with rs little regard to any general
plan of architecture. The people. like
all village Indians, are comparatively
harmless, but, unlike the majority,
have strong aversion to contact with
the whites.
Some of the leading men of the town
came down to the camp and, after con-
siderable palaver. gave consent that
their village might be visited, but stipu-
lated that no effort should be made to
convert the people to Christianity. The
next day Mr.. and Mrs. Stevenson. ac-
companied by their four friendly Moquis
from other villages and as many Nava-
joes, rode to the top of the mesa, dis
mounted, walked into the village plaza,
and thence climbed ladder to the top
of the cocique's, or high priests house.
When the presence of the strangers be-
came known there were signs of excite
ment throughout the village. The
neighboring housetops and the plaza
were thronged by excited barbarians,
who chatted in loud voices and made
threatening gestures. One burly savage
upon roof just above the cociques
aangled a lariat suggestively noosed at
the end. and loudly demanded that the
whites be taken to the estufa, or under
ground chapel of the village. and there
summarilv dealt with. One or two
demonstrative individuals volunteered
to be the first to apply the knife. The
friendly Moquis stood their ground
only few minutes. and then disap-
peared, but the Navajoes. who are
made of tirmer material, remained.
Colonel Stevenson saws that while the
situation was highly interesting. it was
probably les, alarming than it would
have been to people unacquainted with
the natural timidity of the Pueblos.
Mrs. Stevenson. who has >ojourncd
with her husband among many wild
tribes. and knows the Indian. character
well. created an opportune diversion
by shaking her fist in the face of Il
hunch- backed savage. whose vindietive
eloquence seemed to exert most mis-
chievous influence over his fellows, ad-
dressing to him at the same time sew
eral brief but vigorous remarks in En-
gliSh and Spanish. which he was, of
course. quite unable to understand. Be-
fore the man had recovered his self
possession the strangers had backed
down the ladder. and then slowly made
their way. with the whole bowling
pack. men and women. children and
dogs. ut their heels. to their ponies,
mounted and rode down to camp. They
found the cook. who was the only
other white person in the party, con
siderably alarmed. He said the camp
was surrounded soon after their depart
ure by many friendly Indians, but when
the Moqui deserters reached them and
told the story of the proceedings on the
mesa all mounted their ponies and
made haste to get away. The cook
feared his companions had been made
prisoners--perhaps murdered.
The party remained in the neighbor-
hood several days, visiting the other
Moqui villages. to all of which they
were welcomed, and many times they
were visited surreptitiously at night by
people from Oreibe. who brought curios
for sale, which they dared not offer
openly. In this way IL fair collection
was made Meanwhile the story of the
episode i'm Orcibe was carried to keam's
canyon. twenty-five miles distant, the
proprietor of which, an English ranch
man. has lived in the vicinity many
wears. and by fair dealing. pluck and
iirmness has gained an extraordinary
influence with both Navajoes and Mo-
guis. Mr.. Keam at once organized
party of three or four white men. the
only ones living within sixty miles, and
Il dozen or twenty Navajo for rescue.
The Oreibes received information of
his approach. and the head men of their
tribe incontinently fled. keam sent
his Navaioes after them. and the two.
including the hunchbacked chief. were
brought in. keam tied their elbows and
took them to his ranch for discipline, the
Stevensons accompanying him. The
prisoners were defiant at first. but after
two or three days confinement under
the guardianship of Navajoe jailers. who
beat drums. danced and indulged in
other terrifying performances. they be-
gan to relent and confessed that they
had acted badly.
Now you are beginning to talk
reason" said Keam. land we will see
about letting YOU 60 soon."
But" snarled the hunchback, 1--WE
must 60 now"
Hold on. my friend. you are too
fast. You will not be so abrupt. per-
haps. tomorrow.
After another nights confinement
the prisoners begged their liberty and
were joined in tieir prayers by depu-
tation from the village. They prom
ised good behavior i'm the future and
extended an apparently cordial invita-
finn to the StnNenSnns to RETURN