13 



California Art & Nature 



14 



The Maricopas (of Arizona), the 

 Cuchanos or Yumas, and the Cocopas 

 are said to have originally formed one 

 tribe. The Coeopa Indians reside with- 

 in the limits of Mexico and the Yumas 

 in United States territory. Major 

 Heintzelman, in speaking of their ag- 

 riculture, says: "It is simple; with 

 an old axe, if they are so fortunate as 

 to possess one, knives, and Are, a spot 

 likely to overflow is cleared; after the 

 waters subside, from the annual rise, 

 small holes are dug at proper intervals, 

 a few inches deep, with a sharpened 

 stick, having first removed the surface 

 for an inch or two, as it Is apt to cake; 

 the ground is tasted; if salt, rejected 

 and if not the seeds are planted. No 

 further care is required but to remove 

 the weeds, which grow most luxuriant- 

 ly wherever the water has been. They 

 cultivate watermelons, muskmelons, 

 pumpkins, corn, and beans. The water- 

 melons are small and indifferent, musk- 

 melons large, and pumpkins good; 

 these latter they cut and dry for win- 

 ter use. Wheat is planted in the same 

 manner, near the lagoons, in December 

 or January, and ripens in May or June. 

 It has a fine, plump grain and well- 

 fllled heads. They also grow grass- 

 seed for food; it is prepared by pound- 

 ing the seed in wooden mortars made of 

 mesquite, or in the ground. With wa- 

 ter the meal is kneaded Into a mass and 

 then dried in the sun. The mesquite 

 bean \s prepared in the ^ame manner, 

 and will keep to the next season. The 

 pod-mesquite begins to ripen the lat- 

 ter part of June; the screw-bean a lit- 

 tle later. Both contain a great deal 

 of saccharine matter; the latter is so 

 full, it furnishes, by boiling, a palatable 

 molasses; and from the former, by boil- 

 ing and fermentation, a tolerably good 

 drink may be made. The preat depend- 

 ence of the Indian for food, besides the 

 product of his fields, is the mesquite 

 bean. Mules form a favorite article 

 of food; but horses are so highly priz- 

 ed, they seldom kill them, unless press- 

 ed by hunger, or required by their cus- 

 toms." 



Much the same methods are followed 

 by the Cocopas today, as observed by 

 the writer. They also visit the can- 

 yons opening on the desert from the 

 west, and gather the sweet and edible 

 palm fruits, there so abundant, and no 



doubt seek at tim^s the pinyons or pine 

 ffiuts in the forests at the summit of 

 the peninsula range. 



The townsite of Imperial is situated 

 about 30 miles east of the old stage 

 station on Carrizo creek, and here a 

 new civilization, based on modern agri- 

 cultural methods, is like to thrive 

 where roamed the nomad in former 

 time. 



CEREUS BBRLANDIEJRI Engelm. 



Dr. J. Le Conte, gave an interesting 

 account of some volcanic mud springs 

 or solfataras, near the Southern Pacific 

 railroad, on the Colorado desert in Sil- 

 liman's Journal (2d ser. XIX, Ja. 1855). 

 Arthur Schott mentions a severe earth- 

 quake which occurred November 23, 

 1852, and quotes from manuscripts by 

 Major Heintzelman, as follows: "There 

 exists, about 45 miles below Fort Yuma, 

 in the desert between the western Cor- 

 dilleras and the Colorado, a pond, con- 

 sidered as an old orifice, which had 

 been closed for several years. The first 

 shock of an earthquake, in 1852, caused 

 a mighty explosion. The steam rose 

 a beautiful snowy jet more than 1,000 

 feet high into the air, where it spread 

 high above the mountains, gradually 

 disappearing as a white cloud. This 

 phenomenon repeated itself several 

 times in a diminishing scale. Three 

 months later I visited the place; jets 

 took place at irregular intervals, from 



