70 THE PIMA INDIANS iEth. axx. L'G 



Aot, Agave americana Liiin. (possibly a few related species also). 

 Mescal was gathered in times of famine, and it would have been 

 much more extensively used had it not been for the danger from " the 

 enemy," the Apaches, that attended even the shortest journey away 

 from the villages. The plant has ever been a favorite, not only 

 among the Pimas but also with the Papagos, the Apaches, and a 

 score of other tribes. The fu-st day's work after reaching the hills 

 where tills plant grows was to seek suitable wood and make digging 

 sticks. Then the men gathered the mescal heads by prying them 

 out with the sticks, and trimmed off the leaves with a knife, leaving 

 one or two, so that the heads might be tied in pairs and slung on a 

 rope for carrjang. Thin-leaved specimens were rejected, inasmuch 

 as they not only contain little nourishment, but blister the mouth 

 when eaten. While the men were bringing in the mescal, the women 

 gathered wood for fuel. Pits were dug, and after the fire built in 

 thena had died down small stones were placed on the coals. The 

 mescal was then placed on the stones and the whole covered with 

 earth. Wlien it had roasted for twenty-four hours, a small opening 

 was made in the pit and its contents examined; if the cooking was 

 not yet complete, the opening was closed and the pit left undisturbed 

 twelve hours longer. If the roasting was not done when the pit was 

 first opened, it was believed that the incontinence of some members 

 of the party was the cause. The heads of the fruit were opened by 

 removing the envelope on one side; the center was cut out and dried 

 in the sun, when it was ready for use or for storing awaj\ 



Mescal is now obtained from the Papagos. It is eaten by chewing 

 until the juice is extracted and rejecting the fiber. It is used alone 

 or together with pinole. Sirup is extracted from the prepared mescal 

 by boiling imtil the juice is removed, which is then thickened by pro- 

 longed boiling until it becomes a black sirup, somewhat similar to 

 sorghum. It is inferior to saguaro sirup. 



A'pan, Monolepis chenopoides. The roots are washed, boiled in 

 an olla, and cooled in a basket. The water is scjueezed out, and the}' 

 are again put into the olla with a little fat or lard and salt. After 

 cooking for a few moments they are ready to serve with tortillas. 

 This plant is also used in a similar manner by the Mexicans, who are 

 suppased to have learned its value from the natives. The seeds are 

 boiled, partially dried, parched, ground on the metatc, and eaten as 

 pinole. 



A'taftiik, Cucurbita fcetidissima H. B. K. The seeds of this wild 

 gourd are roasted and eaten. 



E'iJcdfi. The root of tliis small plant is gathered, boiled, and eaten 

 without peeling. 



Ilaif'Tiam, Olneya tesota. The nuts of the ironwood tree (pi. vii, a) 

 are parched in an olla, or, what is more usual, the broken half of one, 



