Colorado River (Colo.-Mexico); Grand Canyon (Ariz.); United States -- Discovery and exploration
but the wreck of a man, and no longer has influence. Looking at him one
can scarcely realize that he is a man. His skin is shrunken, wrinkled,
and dry, and seems to cover no more than a form of bones. He is said
to be more than 100 years old. I talk a little with him, but his
conversation is incoherent, though he seems to take pride in showing me
some medals that must have been given him many years ago. He has a pipe
which he says he has used a long time. I offer to exchange with him,
and he seems to be glad to accept; so I add another to my collection of
pipes. His wife, "The Bishop," as she is called, is a very garrulous
old woman; she exerts a great influence, and is much revered. She is the
only Indian woman I have known to occupy a place in the council ring.
She seems very much younger than her husband, and, though wrinkled
and ugly, is still vigorous. She has much to say to me concerning the
condition of the people, and seems very anxious that they should learn
to cultivate the soil, own farms, and live like white men. After talking
a couple of hours with these old people, I go to see the farms. They are
situated in a very beautiful district, where many fine streams of
water meander across alluvial plains and meadows. These creeks have a
considerable fall, and it is easy to take their waters out above and
overflow the lands with them.
It will be remembered that irrigation is necessary in this dry climate
to successful farming. Quite a number of Indians have each a patch of
ground of two or three acres, on which they are raising wheat, potatoes,
turnips, pumpkins, melons, and other vegetables. Most of the crops are
looking well, and it is rather surprising with what pride they show us
that they are able to cultivate crops like white men. They are still
occupying lodges, and refuse to build houses, assigning as a reason
that when any one dies in a lodge it is always abandoned, and very often
burned with all the effects of the deceased; and when houses have been
built for them the houses have been treated in the same way. With their
unclean habits, a fixed residence would doubtless be no pleasant place.
This beautiful valley has been the home of a people of a higher grade
of civilization than the present Utes. Evidences of this are quite
abundant; on our way here yesterday we discovered fragments
FROM ECHO PARK TO THE MOUTH OF UINTA RIVER. 185
of pottery in many places along the trail; and, wandering about the
little farms to-day, I find the foundations of ancient houses, and
mealing-stones that were not used by nomadic people, as they are
too heavy to be transported by such tribes, and are deeply worn. The
powell-canyons-125.jpg
OUR INTERPRETER AND HIS FAMILY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account