110 FIRST MEETING WITH COLORADO INDIANS. 
tion of aroad. Stopping the train, Mr. Leroux, Mr. Stanley, and myself proceeded to recon- 
noitre. We rode several miles over gravelly hills, so steep as to be nearly impassable with 
wagons, till we arrived at the foot of the black ridge. Between the bluff and the river was a 
slight berme; where, with some labor, it appeared that a road might be constructed. The trail 
followed a dark ravine, where were caves recently deserted by Indians. The path beyond led 
to a cliff some twelve feet in height, by the side of which the ascent was made along a worn 
crevice, which afforded uncertain foothold even for mules. We then entered an arroyo, where, 
with little difficulty, wagons might proceed, if once they could pass the ledge; but not having 
time nor means at hand to construct a road, we concluded to abandon all the wagons except the 
light spring-carriage—almost indispensable for the conveyance of instruments—and proceed 
with the survey through this narrow gorge. Upon turning back towards camp, we heard loud’ 
whoops from the high precipices which almost enclosed us. Looking up, we saw, standing in 
bold relief, several Indians, apparently much excited. They clapped their hands first upon their 
naked thighs, and then upon their mouths, as they shouted, producing the wild and startling 
sound known as the war-whoop. After much parleying, and many signs, some came down from 
the high rocks, and meeting two of us, received from our hands a present of tobacco; the rest 
looking on from thesummit. This friendly act produced kind feelings at once. "They spoke no 
Spanish; but Leroux's knowledge of signs, and our recollection of a few Yuma words, enabled 
us partially to understand them. They professed to be Mojaves, but declined our invitation to 
accompany us to camp, saying they must first go and tell their great chief, who would meet us 
to-morrow. As we turned and left them unmolested, their confidence in our good intentions 
was increased, and two of them volunteered to follow us. Professing themselves ““ahot'-k a 
hanac’’—that is, very good—they marched along, chatting as complacently as if they supposed 
we could understand them. We could only make out that war, or some other calamity, had 
visited all the Indians of the Colorado from the Gulf upwards, viz: the Cocopás, Comoyéis, 
Cuchans, Ya-va-páis, Chem-e-hué-vis, Mac-há-vis, Ca-hual-chitz, Mat-hát-e-vatch, and Hual- 
páich. They have suffered greatly from want of clothing and food, which, during the troubles, 
they had not been able to produce. The Americans themselves, they said, had been reduced to 
mule-meat. They talked much about ‘the Major" — gone to California, they said ; but whether 
Major Heintzelman or Major Kendrick, we could not tell, although the reference to mule-meat 
seemed to indicate the latter. As they walked along, their muscular and well-proportioned 
limbs, without covering, showed to great advantage. They were tall and erect, with a step as 
light asa deer's. Their faces were painted black, with a red streak along the nose, according to 
the custom of the Yumas on going to battle. "There was a resemblance to the latter in other 
respects. Their black and glossy hair was similarly cropped in front, along the line of the 
eyebrows, so as just to cover the forehead. Behind it fell in a superb mass over the shoulders, 
and was trimmed so as to hang evenly at the girdle. | 
When we came in sight of the train and camp, which had been pitched during our absence, 
our two new friends instantly sat down, and refused to proceed. With another small gift, tell- 
ing them to meet us on the morrow, we passed on, and, as we expected, they followed us again. 
One could now see, from the expression of the eye and lip, that they had made up their minds 
to encounter the dangers and run the risks, whatever they might be. They stalked into camp 
with the dignity of princes, but with somewhat of a “who's afraid" air, like a schoolboy with 
his courage screwed up to the sticking-point. Everybody treated them with distinguished 
consideration ` one contributed a shirt, another a coat, a third furnished a hat; and the strangers 
were soon rigged out in most fanciful style, evidently to their entire satisfaction. When told 
to bring into camp whatever they might have to exchange for clothes, they started off, and, in 
less than half an hour, returned with maize, beans, and squashes. We have not yet seen any 
cultivated fields whence such a supply could be obtained. At sunset they left camp in great 
haste. About 9 o'clock another Indian was found by the herders, and brought to the camp- 
fire. He, too, was naked, except a ragged cloth about the loins. His face and body were 
