212 FORT YUMA TO THE COCO-MARICOPA VILLAGES. a trifle longer." The accounts on which he bases this recommendation were erroneous, the route along the river being more than double the distance, as reported to me by the engineers whose duties required them to follow it. It is besides thickly wooded, and would present difficulties to wagons, and even to pack-mules; whereas the road over the plateau which we took is excellent all the way. It is also proper to state, that Lieutenant Whipple and Mr. Gray found the bend of the river to be much greater than it is laid down by Major Emory on his map. * * Mr. Gray in his official letter to the Secretary of the Interior, from San Diego, relating to the survey of the Gila, says, that “many errors of others who had been along this river, in astronomical observations, were corrected by Lieutenant Whipple.”—Senate Doc. No. 119, 32d Cong. 1st Session, p. 307. It may be mentioned in this connection, that the survey of the Boundary Commission brought to light two important geographical facts. One was, that the Colorado, after receiving the Gila, takes a sudden turn of seven or eight miles to the westward before resuming its southerly direction, which turn gives the United States both banks of the river. The other was the error in laying down the great bend just below the mouth of the Salinas. Yet both these supposed discoveries were made by Father Kino before the year 1700, although they never obtained a place in the maps; for in speaking of this eminent missionary and geographical explorer, Alegre says: "En este viage observó el padre Kino dos cosas, entre otras: la primera que el Gila como á 55 grados de San Gerónimo, despues de haber corrido cuasi constantemente al Ouest, vuelve como por espacio de ocho leguas al Norte. La segunda, que despues de juntos el Gila y el Colorado, corren por doce leguas al Poniente antes de volver ácia el Sur á desembocar en el Seno Californio."-Alegre Hist. de la Compañia de Jesus en Nueva España, Tom. iii. p. 119. CHAPTER XXX. THE COCO-MARICOPA AND THE PIMO INDIANS. Visit from the Coco-Maricopa Indians-Camp removed to the banks of the Gila-The river dry-No grass-War party-Return to our first camp -Traffic with these Indians-Further accounts of the Oatman family -Francisco the Maricopa interpreter-Feeding the tribe-Visit, from the Pimos-Religious notions of these tribes-Their manners and customs—Agriculture-Art of spinning and weaving-Manufactures of cotton-Pottery-Basket-work-Dress-Their attempts at collecting zoological specimens-Villages-Houses and mode of building-Storehouses Horses and cattle. In the afternoon our camp was filled with the CocoMaricopa Indians, who had discovered us from some of their look-outs. They all manifested a friendly disposition, and seemed very glad to meet among us so many of their old acquaintances, several of the party having spent some days among them while engaged in surveying the river. The most active and important man among them was a chief named Francisco Dukey. He had been in various parts of Mexico and California, spoke Spanish fluently, and acted as our interpreter. There were three or four others who had lived for some time at Tucson, where they had picked up sufficient Spanish to make themselves understood. I told them we wanted vegetables, fruit, green corn, and mules; for which we would pay them in white cotton cloth, calico, red flannel and other shirts, blankets, and trinkets. They generally raise a great many fine melons; but it was too early yet for them. They brought us green corn, squashes, beans, and dried peas. We also bought of them some dried corn (maize) for the animals. The culinary department, as usual, seemed to have most attractions for our Indian friends, who formed a double row around the fire while cooking was going on. They also crowded into the tents, and occupied all the space about them. When night came, we expected they would leave; but they stretched themselves out on the grass, and passed the night in the camp. June 30th. As the heat was intense, the mercury ranging from 100° to 110°, and as we had very little shade, it was thought advisable to get nearer the river, where there were more trees, and where the men would have a better opportunity to bathe, a luxury which they had enjoyed every day since leaving Fort Yuma. The Indians told me we had better remain where we were, as there was no grass near the river. I felt disposed to listen to them; but such was the desire of the party to be on the water that I consented to go, and gave orders to strike the tents immediately after breakfast. By eight o'clock we set off, under the guidance of Francisco, and followed by fifty or sixty more of his tribe. After crossing a deep arroyo of sand, which is filled by the river at its floods, and pushing our way through a thick underbrush of willows, we at length reached the bank of the river, when I found the statements of the Indians too true. There were many fine large cotton-wood trees, beneath which we stopped, and which afforded us a good shade from the scorching rays of the sun; but there was not a blade of grass to be seen, and, what was worse, the Gila was dry! We crossed and recrossed its bed without wetting the soles of our shoes; although by digging a couple of feet, we found water for ourselves and our animals. We now turned the animals loose to browse upon the twigs of the willows and cotton-woods, as there was no other food for them; and I sent Mr. Leroux up the stream, in search of the two great desiderata for the party, grass and water, and shade if it was to be found. In three or four hours, after making a diligent search through the bottom, he returned and reported that the river was dry as far as he had followed it, and that he had met with no grass. In fact, he was told by the Indians, that we should find no grass until we passed the Pimo villages, from twelve to fifteen miles beyond. It was so hot and dry where we were, that we did not pitch our tents, having concluded to retrace our steps in the morning to our first camp at the water-holes. The dryness of the river was produced by the water having been turned off by the Indians to irrigate their lands, for which the whole stream seemed barely sufficient. It is probable, however, that, with more economical management, it might be made to go much further. A party of the Coco-Maricopas remained with us to-day, who were to set off in the morning on an expedition against their enemies, the Apaches, north of the Salinas. They were gayly dressed, as is the universal custom of the Indians on such occasions, and mounted on good-looking horses. The chiefs who were to lead the band begged hard of me to lend them a few rifles with the necessary ammunition; which I had to refuse. As an additional inducement, which they thought I could not refuse, they offered to bring me a live Apache boy, and a girl too, if I wished; but having no desire for such additions to our party, I was com pelled to decline the generous proposal. July 1st. Our Indian friends composing the war party were up at daylight preparing for a start. They seemed to be supplied with small loaves of bread and dried meat, of which they made their morning's meal. They then decorated themselves with all the finery they could muster. Most of them had shirts of white cotton or red flannel, which they had obtained of us, and which they seemed to regard as the beau-ideal of a dress, without the addition of any other garment. Such as had their own cotton blankets, placed them around their bodies in folds, and over this wound their lariats as tight as possible; for the double purpose, I suppose, of bracing their bodies, and of protecting their vital parts from arrows. Those who possessed neither shirts nor blankets, remained as nature made them, with the addition of a little paint. On their head dresses, they had all bestowed more attention. than on their bodies. Some had them plastered with clay, so as to resemble huge turbans. Others had decorated the great club of hair which hung down |