The times., 1899-07-08
wINDRows OF STONES.
The Mysterious Annual Function of
the Hualapais Indians.
(From the Chicago Record.


Flagstaff, Ariz.. July s.-Near the town
called The Needles, about twelve miles
across the Colorado River. on the Califor-
MIA side, Is an area of about thousand
acres. more or less where the Hualapais
Indians rake up the stones in windrowS
in a most mysterious manner, and for
reason that has never been satisfactorily
explained to the white citizens in that sec
tion.
1t is a dreary and dusty desert. Rain
seldom falls. The surface OF the ground,
a hard clay that has been baking in the
sun for centuries. is covered with broken
lava and pumice-stone, which at some
time was discharged from one of the great
volcanoes whose silent craters can be seen
in the San Bernardino Mountains. This
is the ordinary appearance of the country
for leagues around. You can travel an
hour, or ten hours for that matter, in any
direction away from. the river bed without
seeing anything green or any plant or
thing OF life except cactus or sage
brush Under the shadow of group OF
mighty hills is mesa or tableland that Is
almost level, and there once year, upon
some anniversary whose significance is not
understood and cannot be ascertained. the
Indians of the Hualapais tribe gather at
night and rake the lava and pumice-stones
into windrows. Some of the windrows are
two miles long. They are regular in
length and in intervals, and the average
height is about twelve or fifteen inches,
Just about the height of windrow OF hay
left by horserake in meadow.
The Hualapais are lazy beggars, and
down in this climate there is not much to
encourage them 10 work as long as the
Government gives them rations. They are
not savage, but are disposed TO be peace
full. The worst vices they have are TO
gamble and get drunk and steal. The
thirst for whisky is Unsuitable in this dry
atmosphere, and they have not clear
comprehension of the rights OF property.
Each family has little garden and hut
built of clay and brush. They spend but
little time in cultivating the small crops
they raise, but are usually found around
the neighboring towns, where they haye a
chance TO pilfer and beg frewater. But
at a certain season of the year every
Hualapais disappears from the villages and
remains away for q week or ten days.
During that time not a redskin belonging g
to that tribe is seen anywhere. 1t is then
that they go down to what white people
call the happy hunting ground and rake
up the stones. men, women, and children.
engaging in the work. 1t is sort OF re-
ligious ceremony that requires some puri-
ication or preparation, and is followed by
certain sacred rites which no white man
ever witnessed.
During the rest OF the year the Indians
never visit the place. At least if they do
they go in the night time when nobody
can see them. But they regard it with
great reverence and frown upon whites
who visit it or ask questions concerning
the ceremony. The name happy hunting
ground" was applied by the white resi-
dents OF the country for the lack of a bet
ter name. The Indians give the place no
| designation. In fact, they never mention
it.
Major Powell and Prof McGee,- of the
| Bureau OF Ethnology, who probably know
more about the habits and customs and
religious rites of the Southwestern In
dams than anyone else in this country,
had never heard of the place until l told
them, and could give no explanation Of
the custom.