The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-08-13

counts of the two above-named tribes diff
fer materially in many essential points of
their early history. Both tribes seem to
have heard of a great food. and each has
its own method of explaining how their
forefathers were saved from this deluge.
INDIAN TRADITIONS OF THE FLOOD.
The Pimas relate that the coming of
the food was well known to the eagles;
for these birds, soaring among the clouds,
saw the gathering of the storm. One of
the eagles, well disposed towards the Pr
mas, appeared 20 the principal prophet of
the tribe, and warned him of the approach
ing disaster, advising him to prepare for
it. At the same time a cunning wolf
Coyote conveyed the same caution to an
other prophet. The former and his fol-
lowers paid no attention TO the counsels
of the eagle; while the other prophet,
knowing the wolf to be a sagacious ami
NAL, at once prepared boat or raft for
himself, and made provisions to take with
him all kinds of animals then known. The
Papagoes claim to be tie descendants of
the more cautious one; the Pimas of the
one who refused to be guided by the eagle.
This bird appeared for the second time
and repeated his caution, but the Pimas
scorned his advice.
At last the eagle came for the third
time, violently tapped his wings at the
and with shrill cry announced to him
and his people that the flood was at hand,
and then flew screaming away. Suddenly
the winds arose and the rains descended
in torrents; thunder and lightning were
terrific, and darkness covered the world
Everything on earth was destroyed by
the flood, and all the Pimas persisted ex-
cept one Chief, named Soho, good and
brave Indian, who was saved by a special
interposition in his favor by the Great
Spirit.
The prophet who listened to and profit
ed by the caution of the wolf, entered his
boat, which safely rode through the storm
and landed, when the food subsidized, upon
the mountain of Santa Rosa. The wolf
also escaped by crawling into large hol-
low cane, the ends of which he closed
with some resinous substance.
The Papagoes of to-day believe that the
prophet who saved himself by means of
the boat was their forefather, and yearly
visit the mountain and village of Santa
Rosa, in Arizona Territory, in commence
ration of the fortunate escape of the foun-
der of their race. 1t is also said that
Papago will not kill coyote.
The PimaS claim to be the direct de-
scendants of the Chief Soho, above men
toned. The children Of Soho reinhabited
the ella River Valley, and soon the peo-
pie became numerous.
THE GREAT KING OF THE PIMAs.
One of the direct descendants of Soho,
King Si-va-nO, erected the Casas Grandes
Qarge houses near the ella River. Here
he governed large empire, before-long
befOre-the Spanards were known. King
Si-va-no was very rich and powerful, and
had many wives, who We're known for
their personal beauty and their great skill
In making pottery ware and ki-hos (bas-
kets which the womcr carry upon their
heads and backs)S
The subjects of King Si-va-no lived in
large city near the Casas Grandes, and
cultivated the soil for many miles around.
CThis soil is now almost all sand, and pro-
duces the largest giant cactus plants in
all Arizona) They dug immense canals,
which carried the water of the ella River
to their fields, and also produced abundant
crops. Their women were virtuOus and
Industrious; they spun the native cotton
into garments, made beautiful baskets of
the bark of trees, and were particularly
skilled in the manufacture of earthen-
ware.
RUINS OF THE cAsAs GRANDEs.
Remains of the old canals can be seen
to this day, and pieces of neatly-panted
potteryware are scattered for miles upon
the site of the old city. There are sew
eral ruins of ancient buildings here the
best preserved one OF which is said to
have been the residence of King Si-va-no
This house has been at least four stories
high, for even now three stories remain
in good preservation, and n portion of the
fourth can be seen. The house was built
square; each story contains five rooms,
one in the center, and a room on each of
the outer sides of the inner room which
is partitioned off into three smaller ones
This house has been built solidly of clay
and cement of some kind; not of adobes
'From this word was derived the name
of the small mining town Qniio-toe dit
orally basket town, west of the Papago
country. 1t fourished towards the end Of
the SOS, but is now abandoned.