The National tribune., 1903-11-05

Hermosillo the beautiful, the Capital OF
the Mexican State of Sonora. runs long.
narrow street called ia calle del Carmel,
or Carmen Carmel Street.. beginning at
the northern end where the church or
chapel of that name stands. Directly
from the outer edge of this street there
rises an elevation which extends nearly
the whole length of the street. attaining
n hight of almost 400 feet. 1t is evident
" the result of volcanic eruption. being
composed entirely of lava rocks that give
forth the metallic sound inherent to all
such formations. 1t is completely bare
of vegetation, except in few hSsures
or cracks where the decay of ages has
formed little soil.
The whole mountain is one mass OF
rock whose surface is cut up into nnum
erable caverns. cavities, fssurcs, and
cracks, surrounded at every side by small
peaks. projections, boulders and rocks OF
all sizes and shapes, thus making the as
cent to the top quite laborious task.
MUSICAL MOUNTAIN.
This rocky hill is known far and wide
as Eel cerro de las campanas" (the noun
tain of the BELLS, because from it there
Issue from time to time the most wonder
ful and varigated sounds imaginable,
changing in strength of tone and nature
of sound, from resemblance to bells rung
at a distance to such as would be pro-
duced by church organ played very SOFT
ly or listened to from the outside of
church. Again, at times, especially when
q light ocean breeze comes up from the
Gulf of California. the music of the noun
tain seems to be that of flute, at inter
walls weakening into n soft murmur not
unlike that produced by a Jew's-harp DIS
tant and softly played. When there is no
wind from any direction the mountain re-
mains mute.
| had visited Hermosillo on several oc-
casions before 1884, on business as well
ns for pleasure, and had repeatedly heard
these mysterious sounds; but had neglect
ed to inquire into their cause or their orr
gin As i was now making a lengthy
STAY, with no urgent business that required
n speedy return, / resolved to solve the
mystery Many were the questions l put
TO inhabitants of the citv, of all classes,
but without success. The old residents
considered the sounds n matter of course,
having heard them from their infancy;
later arrivals had become accustomed to
them also, and the latest had either not
found time to give the matter any thought,
or, il so. had given it up as an unsolyable
riddle. ! could find nobody who seemed
to to be interested in the matter. serious
ly or lightly. until ! brought the subject up
In the presence of the Judge. who re-
marked: Il do not believe that you will
find in the whole city a single person who
takes any interest in the matter or thinks
il worth while to do so. You see, scientific
research is not in our line; in the first
place we are too indOlent to ascend that
mountain TO investigate its secrets; and
IN the second place We have heretofore
been kept pretty busy with revolutions
However, now that you have brought the
matter up l remember that there exists
Ya0ui Indian who ussd to tell wonderful
tale about the mountain. think y6ti will
find him upon the farm of an old French
man, Monsieur TAFT
1.-THE CURLY ONE"
I found Mr. TAFT The Yaqui, he said.
was still with him. He called him Eel
Chino" (the curly one). and spoke of him
In most laudatory terms.
0t is customary in Mexico to give a
surname to any one whose exterior affords
the facility of applying a distinguishing
attribute. In family, where all are dark
complexioned save one. this one will of
certainty be called "el guero" 0he light
complexioned one). and. in case of the cir
cunstances being reversed. the exceptional
one will be called "el negro Ghe black
one) or eel trigueno'' (the dark one).
A ride OF nearly an hours duration
across the Sonora River and through the
outskirts of the small town of Seris
brought us to the cultivated fields where
recently San YsidrO had been maltreated,
and eventually to the farm of Mr.. TAFT.
The Yaqui was sent for, and soon made
his appearance He was man of middle
age. His features indicated intellectually.
He spoke Spanish quite fuently, although
with that peculiar alteration from gram
mar characteristic of all Yaquis. which
consists in placing almost invariably the
masculine definite article 'el'' before a
feminine noun, and vice versa.
Upon being questioned as to what he
knew about the mountain Of the bells and
ffc rpncic hic faot hriOhfa fapaI nd ba
said:
"Ah. Senior, what l know about this
cerro and its voces (voces) is wonderful;
but l do not like to tell it, because the
people often make fun Of it. But know
It to be true, as true as the sun, the
else We can sec with our eyes. My father
was killed by Apaches, when young
plan, in the Sierra Madre, and 1 was
reared by my grandfather, who was q
direct descendant of many, many genera
tions OF Cacigues Chiefs. He told me the
story himself over and over again, as
he had 1t from his ancestors and surely
It Is true-it is-it isr'
THE YAoUI LEGEND.
'You see the mountain over yonder
whence the sounds come. Il Is only a
vast heap Of rocks now; but 1t was once.
long, long ago, beautiful green hill. and
all about and around 1t the hills and val
leys were green with trees and pasture,
gemmed with beautiful flowers. The rains
were more frequent then, and the river
never was dry. Our nation was rich and
powerful-as numerous as the grains of
sand down by the shore of the gulf. 1t
occupied the whole country from the Pi
meria Alta fAriZona) In the North, down
to the sea. Large herds Of cattle were
grazing everywhere, and silver was as
plenty as brass and iron are now with
your mighty people. Our Montezuma was
great warrior. very tall and muscular
with eyes like hawk; no other man could
etring his bow, none could WELD his lance;
bis shield was Of pure silver and shone like
the moon at full. He lived on the top
of the mountain. In front of his house
there hung between two posts large dirk
Of beaten silver, and when he struck il
with his clenched fist, the sounds It gave
forth reverberated over hills and dales to a
great distance and caused his chiefs to
assemble around him; for the whole coun-
try was subject to him. There was no
more powerful chief than Takahuitl, who
was our Montezuma at the time l speak
Of. His subjects were well organized into
large and small bodies. for warfare. and
he could assemble an immense fighting
force in a very short time. Around his
palace on the hill were many smaller
houses, where his women lived, with their
servac,ts
Powerful though our nation was, we
had an enemy who would often encroa eli
upon our lands, drive away our herds, and
at times even succeed In carrying away