ACROSS THE NAVAJO DESERT 35 



cliffs. In places the sand was heavy; in others 

 the ground was hard, and the teams made good 

 progress. There were little water-holes, usually 

 more or less alkaline, ten or fifteen miles apart. 

 At these the Navajos were watering their big 

 flocks of sheep and goats, their horses and don 

 keys, and their few cattle. They are very inter 

 esting Indians. They live scattered out, each 

 family by itself, or two or three families together; 

 not in villages, like their neighbors the Hopis. 

 They are pastoral Indians, but they are agri 

 culturists also, as far as the desert permits. 

 Here and there, where there was a little seepage 

 of water, we saw their meagre fields of corn, 

 beans, squashes, and melons. All were mounted ; 

 the men usually on horses, the women and chil 

 dren often on donkeys. They were clad in white 

 man s garb; at least the men wore shirts and 

 trousers and the women bodices and skirts; but 

 the shirts were often green or red or saffron or 

 bright blue; their long hair was knotted at the 

 back of the head, and they usually wore moc 

 casins. The well-to-do carried much jewelry of 

 their own make. They wore earrings and neck 

 laces of turquoise; turquoises were set in their 

 many silver ornaments; and they wore buttons 

 and bangles of silver, for they are cunning 

 silversmiths, as well as weavers of the famous 



