| Show the pimo aimo indians and villages A soldier in col jests detachment of california volunteers in a letter from camp camps near the pomos villages eq to a friend at san Anc iaco laco dated afy ath published in the bulte Bulle ingi ves thi eal aal desert and the pimo aimo indians and their villages of course in going into a new country as I 1 ting have hase from fortyuna Fort Yuma uma to this place I 1 have seen new sights from the fort up the gila river we had ten days marching miles through a wretched country our try multitudes of wild mockingbird mocking bird birde singing night light and day were the only redeem redeeming iLig feature but more than offset by any number of rattlesnakes scorpions cor ant ana an i tarran tulas then as an object of melancholy interest we passed the very spot of the oatman massacre and over the graves of the victims it is desolate indeed and I 1 found it impossible during my stay there over night to keep my thoughts from dwelling upon the terrible tragedy acor as my descriptive powers are they will be little taxed to give a picture of the quite noted pima villages the whole pou lation the maricopa maricola Mari marl copa and pimo almo nations are said to 0 o embrace some six thousand souls they are a peaceful and intelligent people engaged in agricultural pursuits their warlike avocations consist of an annual campaign against the apaches with whom wham they are eternally at war they have rec ived some encouragement from the united states government in cultivating their lands they now have a crop of wheat on the eve of harvest that I 1 judge will yield one million I 1 they live iise luve in low oblong roundtop ed mud ats with a smail small door these doors or d all face to the rising sun add aud they have a belief that some moring morning tuk euk a w xi marke makre nis lia appearance with the god of day they have no religious creed or fonn forin or object of worship that I 1 am aware of the men are an idle set the women do all the labor the latter are modest for Indi inciting yng ing and have the reputation of oe being entirely virtuous but I 1 should judge iud jud e fr from 0 in a ap pe arances that they will not long wit withstand b t pd the love making of the califern Cali forn a volunteers tee rs amon among tham are some fine forms a simple clout vf cotton cloth around the loins mere merely ay answering purposes of decency while the rest of their persons persona are exposed in utter nale nakedness duess they wear a profusion of beads daub their faces with veral vermilion lion ilon and the eyelids and corners of their mouths with blue taint paint they carry loads of wheat of one hundred undre to two hundred pounds in baskets I 1 upon their their heads and shoulders sometimes with a P accompaniment strapped toa to goa a bo board boand I 1 act inao regales itself at the maternal matern fountain the aged of the race both of men and women are hideous the young are lively boisterous ard playful as so many school children at liberty on the whole though infinitely superior to any indians that I 1 have seen they are a benighted race exciting only feelings of compassion for their barbarism and disgust at their personal appearance and ani habits but their wheat fields are an oasis in the desert the land is a light alluvial clay an and I 1 the gila river through numberless ditches affords the necessary irrigation brush fences divide them up up into unto fields of three to twenty acres according to the number of families conc concerns concerned ernd in the cultivation or of each while I 1 write as far as the e eye Y e can reach j the tall grain waves its merald emerald green preen in the I 1 gentle wint wini winland and when a few weeks shall have given it full maturity the golden hues bues of the thel ripened stalks will have a grand effect then if it should be bdour our fortune to still be here doubtless we shall see a busy harvest time 11 cutty why dont you kick that dog what am anide amide de ns use e ol ob kicking ebery cur da snarls at you D dont ont yer know dat am de way he be wants to bring himself to notice j |
