Columbus and Other Heroes of American DiscoveryD'Anvers, N.
History
Columbus and Other Heroes of American Discovery
D'Anvers, N.
America -- Discovery and exploration; North America -- Discovery and exploration
“What,” said Cozens to Cochise, in as careless a manner as he could
assume, “will Magnus Colorado say to the presence in your camp of a
white man?” “Oh,” was the reply, “I sent him word as soon as I knew
it was he; and you know, too, he is the white man’s friend.”
Illustration: THE APACHES’ HOME.
Not having hitherto had any proof of the latter assertion, unless
scalping could be considered a token of friendship, Cozens withdrew,
to his hut; but he was soon relieved from his anxiety by a visit he
there received from Colorado, who extended his hand in a friendly
manner, with the words, “Good day! give me bacca.”
Cozens of course complied at once, adding to the usual chewing tobacco
a small parcel for smoking, thereby winning the full confidence of his
visitor, who proceeded to tell of his recent adventures, showing off
as one of his best trophies a blood-stained baby’s frock, the wearer
of which he boasted he had himself sent home to the Great Spirit!
Disgusted with this and similar anecdotes, Cozens resolved to leave
the home of the Apaches as soon as possible; but he found that he
could not do so abruptly without risking his life, and, much against
his will, he was compelled to be present at a scalp-dance given in
honor of Colorado, and surpassing in weird horror any thing he had
ever read or heard of.
A huge fire, over which hung a steaming kettle, formed the
center-piece of the open-air stage on which the revolting ceremony was
performed. Round this kettle danced a number of half-naked braves and
squaws, each holding aloft a spear crowned by a scalp, while every now
and then one of the women snatched a piece of meat from the caldron,
and offered it in derision to the ghastly human relics.
Not until far on in the night was Cozens allowed to retire, and,
when he did so, it was with a firm resolve never again to allow his
curiosity to get the better of his judgment. A few days later he was
on his way back to Mexico, whence, in spite of the resolution just
quoted, he subsequently made two expeditions――one to the silver mines
of Tucson, the other to the ruins in New Mexico.
The account given of the first trip is little more than a _résumé_
of all that had been done by the early travelers whose work we have
already recorded; but the second contains many a thrilling anecdote of
intercourse with the Navajoes, who so long harassed the white settlers
in the newly-annexed American territories.
Accompanied by a man named Jim Davis――“a small, wiry, hatchet-faced,
red-haired Yankee, known as the Emigrant’s Friend,” on account of
the welcome he gave to all new-comers to what he considered his own
special domain――Cozens crossed the Rio Grande near its entrance into
New Mexico, and, after visits to the pueblos or towns of Acoma and
Laguna, commenced the ascent of the Sierra Madre, from the summit of
which a magnificent view, stretching far away to the Pacific, was
obtained.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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