The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1908-10-30
INDIAN LEGEND LIKE
TALE OF THE DELUGE
Missionary Hears Queer Story of
Great Flood Told by An
cient Mexican Tribe

| Los Angeles, Cal., saturday. -
A missionary who has returned
from Mexico, where he worked
among the Yuma lndais, says
that there il q STIMULATED between
the story of th' iuge recorded
in the Christian Bible and the le-
gend of a flood dramatically told
by the Yumas and which has
come down to them ~.4altcred
through centuries.
Their deluge, as described by
the few who were miraculouslv Y
saved. was the more greatly t :
rible in that it came on suddenly
From the hioh lands occupied ~
the Indians they saw the waves
of sea sweep in upon the land
al ucede only to advance with
in nsely increased volume and
ST. pendously huge breakers.
Then there came terrific storm
that seemed to blow from all di-
rections. The storm caused huge
waterspouts which appeared over
the wild ocean as far as the eye
could see. The terrified people
fled to the mountains, but the
mountains were all soon to be
submerged, with the exception
of one. This mountain, which
alone remained uncovered by the
flood, is called Aveenhellah
(Mountain of the noon. Yet
to-day it is not very high noun
tain.
BOAT MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARS
For a while before the noun
tain between submerged there
was a great calm, and dense fog
covered the earth. Then sudden
ly mighty boat appeared to the
awed view of the Indians: it ap-
preached and stopped at several
mountains still-uncovered by the
waves, and at each point where
it touched, as if guided by invis.
ible intelligence. the Indians, as if
obeying an unspoken but potent
command, entered the boat.
The boat rested first at a place
called Avee-qua-lul (Mountain
Peak, now Pilot Knob, on the
border of Mexico, There was a
mesa on the top of this mountain.
though at this day it does not eX-
ist and on this mesa the Indians
first celebrated Their delivery.
This they did by playing sacred
games, chanting sacred songs,
&c. On the rocks at the foot of
this peak there are hierozlyphics
in an unknown language which
some of the Indians believe were
made by those VINO survived the
flood.
Petrifed driftwood is still to be
seen two-thirds of the distace up
the sides of Aveenhellah, which
drift, the indians say, was depos-
tied by the waves of the great
flood.
The Indians, having rested for
time on the mountain peak,
again entered the boat and were
carried eastward. eventually to a
small valley. Here they agnln
rested, and then leaving the boat
they wandered from one place to
another, after a time returning to
the valley. To their surprise the
boat was gone. 1t could not have
foated away, for the land was
dry whereon they had left it, the
flood having suLsided after a
great calm of its waters. The
boat could not have crumbled to
pieces, for there had not been
time for it's decay. They could
only conclude that the mysterious
boat, having fulfilled its mission
of preserving a few of their race
had disappeared as miraculously
as it had appeared.
The spot where the mysterious
boat or ark had rested was mark
ed the Indiaus placing there huge
log. They called the place DUAL
jo-para (boat's resting place.
This spot is held sacred by the
Indians, who will seldom point it
out to strangers. Not many
hundred years ago, it is said,
some Indian warriors were pas
sing the spot and one OF them, to
show his scepticism. shot an ar
row into the side of the great log;
Immediately a stream of blooo
gushsd from the spot pierced and
the sceptic fell dead.
The story of the event was
carried to all the near tribes ano
since then Indians passing the
place fear even to look lelsurely
at the log. Some steal hasty
glances at it, but many fear tc
turn their eyes in its direction.
A reason given by the Indians
as the probable cause OF the flooo
was that there was a tribe OF
Indians who, like Columbus, be
lieved that the earth was not flat
but round, and to prove whether
this theory were true thousands
I from the different tribes banded
together and started out on 6
journey to find the edge Of the