SOME DESERT INDIAN LORE 71 



Indian mythology) was in love. The sisters climbed 

 up by a rope, and the love-lorn Coyote, catching the 

 end of the rope, was drawn up after them. But the 

 sisters, once safe, cut the rope behind them and he 

 fell; but not back to earth, for, "See," said Antonio, 

 pointing to Aldebaran, "there he go. All the time he 

 try catch that girl, but he never catch her yet." 



The creosote bush, Larrea glandulosa {at-a-qual- 

 sa'-na), produces scantily a red, scale-like gum which 

 is considered very valuable. It is used for repairing 

 ollas, attaching arrow-heads to shafts, and also as a 

 medicine for the throat. Of this gum the barrel was 

 made in which the semi-divine hero of the Papagos 

 (a southern desert tribe) was saved from death in 

 the great flood. The creosote bush itself is used 

 medicinally, a strong decoction of the twigs and 

 leaves, taken internally, being thought excellent for 

 maladies of the throat and chest and of the stomach. 



The virtues and vices of the datura, a common, 

 rank plant very similar to the well-known jimson- 

 weed, with large trumpet-shaped, white or lilac- 

 tinted, sickly-sweet flowers which open at night, are 

 well known to the Indian. They call the plant tolu- 

 ache (to-loo-ah'-che) and put its narcotic properties 

 to use in connection with certain of their social and 

 religious ceremonies. It is believed to confer clair- 

 voyance, so that by its use one may recover lost 

 articles; though it is capable of more difficult feats. 

 For instance, it was reported to me of a certain blind 

 Indian of my acquaintance, who was formerly a 

 noted gambler, that he had lost his sight through 

 too frequent use of toluache, by means of which he 



