Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-12-07
THE APACHE CHIMERA.
Strange Legend of Natural Bridge, ill Arizona Ter
 ritOry.
oUAN-I-wAm-LE AND yAH-KNI-YEL.
Probable Origin of the Ors-Seen Sea Ser pent of the Pacifo-AlsO, the Reason Why the APaches Lives in the Mountains Instead of the Val
 Ieys-A Tale of Indian
 Mythology.

Why the ApacheS Lives in the
 Mountains Instead of the Val
 Ieys-A Tale of Indian
 Mythology.
 e. L. Mosher in the Examiner.)
 It is strange and very much to be regretted that no writer or>>student of antiquity has ever seen proper to fol- low up the work so. well begun by by Prescott and give to the world the mythologies of the North American Indians. In it's weirdness, myster- iousness and extravaganza 1t would doubtless surpass all volumes which have been handed down to us from the mystic past, and might afford some knowledge as to the strange peo- ple who inhabited this country before the pyramids of Egypt were thought of, and the work of constructing the great walls of China begun. The ex- periences or imaginatiOns of the early tribes of Indians in the southwest DOT ton of the United States were ex- tremely peculiar and unaccountable, and would make in themselves a val uable addition to our libraries. To every point, place or landmark especi- ally weird, mystic, grand, fantastic or picturesque, which would attach the glamour of romance, is some tradition connected.
 The Natural Bridge in Arizona is associated in Apache lore with the story of huge water snake, which for extravaganza of conception, great size and formidable strength far ex- ceeds the dragon of Scripture; the i'm mense serpent which Pliny tells us Regulus and his army besieged some two hundred and sixty years before Christ, or the more modern marine creations of minds rendered peculiarly vivid through steady. devotion to New Jersey apple-jack.
 The Natural Bridge of Arizona spans Pine creek, a mountain tributary ot the Salt river, and in an air line is about sixty miles from PheniX, the direction being northeast. The scenic beauty of this natural wonder Is un- surpassed on the Pacific Coast. The bridge spans the precipitous walls Of the mountain torrent ITO feet above the water, while it is eighty feet in length and varies in width, up and down the stream, from three to four hundred feet. It's limestone walls rise in architectural symmetry to the span above, forming a perfect arch, and are hung with stalacftes of varying sizes and fantastic shapes
 This bridge the Apaches say once formed the lower barrier of q crystal mountain lake, the waters of which broke gently over it and formed a magnificent waterfall. The lake was inhabited by monster oi great size and power, whom but few ot the Apaches ever saw in his mountain home; but while they feared they also revercd, this in0nSch, 10 whom they attributed their immunity from inYa- sion from the Comanches and other warlike tribes to the north and east. It lived upon deer, antelope and other animals. which, unknowing their dan ger, came to the lake to drink, and was also fed with large quantities of fish which the hawks, whom it com niapdod, caught and carried from the creek below to satiate its delicate taste.
 Large numbers of these fishers were constantly engaged in this duty, and their weird shrieks and pitiful cries contributed in 2 great degree to repel the superstitious Indians from making any very close investigations of the lake, while the mountains surround ing were given up entirely to the con trol and uses of th,s enormous ami mal.
 It is described by the medicine men of the tribe, whose crude drawings also assist in giving a faint idea of the form Of the monster, to have been over two hundred feet ia length, with the head and neck of serpent, the Pecto- ral fins of a whale, the legs and body of Gila monster (heloderma hOrri- dumb the latter terminating in a double tail, jointed and flexible like that Of the scorpion, but having affixed very large and disappointed arrow-heads. Of course these differ ent features were greatly magnifed from the reptiles to which they are compared. The head of this monster was flat, like that of the rattlesnake. but the jaws were not so heavy, and a disappointed crown projected above the intersection of the neck. In ad- diiion to the two eyes of the snake, a larger one sat in the middle of the forehead, and added ferocity to the ap- pearance of the serpent. Its head as about fourteen feet long and ten feet wide, while the neck, the fore part Oi which was covered with long red brown hair, was fully ninety feet ir length. The body was flat and broad and only about thirty feet between the sturdy short legs, and behind anC above the forelegs the swimming flap pers grew out. The tails were at leas seventy feet long, and acted indepen dent of each other. The lower part O the neck, the entire body, legs anC tails were covered with very heav, scales, forming an impenetrable ar mor.
 When undisturbed and not in ques of prey, the gigantic reptile swan with his body well down in the water his fippers working lazily and ri double tail acting as 8 propeller. A times his neck would be curled up ol the back and the head elevated higl in the air; then again it was eXtende at almost fuil length, the head bein scarcely above water, while the wei known sinuOus motion of the serpen increased the ease of swimming.
 When alarmed or angry the mon ster would curve his neck compactl upon the body, its head projectin slightly forward. Then it would brin forward and on each side of the neck after the fashion of the scorpion, il arrow-pointed tails, which extcnde several feet beyond the head. Wit such weapons and its impenetrabl coat of mail, it became foe so fol midable that no man or beast coul resist it attack. In this latter positio the animal was able to move, but nc very rapidly when out of water.
 At that very remote period in thei history the Apaches deny that the
 were exclusively mountain tribe (
 that they gave up their time entirel
 to hunting and fighting. but claiI ! n.o4 41. r,- ,.oo,,,,,o1 oil 4ho ,-o1Io,.-