Ex. Doc. No. 41. 85 



children, who sauntered amongst our packs/un\vatched; and not a 

 single instance of theft was reported. 



I rode leisurely in the rear, through the thatched htts of the 

 Pimosj each abode consists of a dome-shaped wicker-work, about 

 six feet high, and from twenty to fifty feet in diameter, thatched 

 with straw or cornstalks. In front is usually a large arbor, on top 

 of which is piled the cotton in the pod, for drying. . 



In the houses were stowed watermelons, pumpkins, beans, corn. 

 and wheat, the three last articles pjenerally in large baskets^ some- 

 times the corn was in baskets covered with eajrth, and placed on 

 th-e tops of the domes, A few chickens and dogs were seen, but 

 |io other domestic animals, except horses, mules, and oxen. Their 

 implements of husbandry were the axe (of steel,) wooden hoes, 

 shovels, and harrows. The soil is so easily pulverized as to make 

 the plough unnecessary. 



Several acquaintances, formed in our camp yesterday, were re- 

 cognized, and they received me cordially, made signs to dismount, 

 and when I did so, offered watermelons and pinole. Pinole is the 

 heart of Indian corn, baked, ground up, and mixed with sugar. 

 When dissolved in water, it affords a delicious beverage, it quenches 

 thirst, and is very nutritious. Their molasses, put up in large 

 jars, hermetically sealed, of which they had quantities, is expressed 

 nom the fruit of the pitahaya. 



A woman was seated on the ground under the shade of one of the 

 cotton sheds. Her left leg was tucked under her seat and her foot 

 turned sole upwards^ between her big toe and the next, was a 

 spmdle about 18 inches long, with a single fly of four or -six inches, 

 ^ver and anon she gave it a twist in a dexterous manner, and at its 

 ^nd was drawn a coarse cotton thread. This was their spinning 

 J^enny. Led on by this primitive display, I asked for their loom 

 y pointing to the thread and then to the blanket girded about the 

 ^oman s loins, A fellow stretched in the dust sunning himself, 

 rose up leisurely and untied a bundle which I had supposed to be 

 ^ bow and arrow. This little package, with four stakes in the 

 grQund, was the loom. He stretched his cloth and commenced the 

 process of weaving, 



>e travelled 15^ miles and encamped on the dividing ground 



^ ween the Pimos and Maricp^^as. For the whole distance, we 



tI^^^ T .^^^ough cultivated grounds, over a luxuriantly rich soil. 



^ plain appeared to extend in every direction 15 or 20 miles, 



cept in one place about five miles before reaching camp, where 



^ ow chain of hills comes in from the soutkeast, and terminates 



jome miles from the river. The bed of the Gila, opposite the vil- 



g^) is said to be dry; the whole water being drawn off by the ze- 



j ^^^ of the Pimos for irrigation; but their ditches are larger than 



^^ necessary for this purpose, and the water which is not used re- 



^ns to the bed of the river with little apparent diminution in its 

 Volume. - ^^ 



Wth'^ ^°^ from our camp north, 30 west, you see a great plain 



» ^^".^oufitains rising in the distance on each side. This prospect 



an induced some travellers to venture from here in a direct line to 



b 



