182 KEW TEACKS IN NOETH AMEEICA. 



by thousands. When there were no crops to destroy, and 

 no apparent enemy to be found, or flocks to drive off, the 

 military wonkl encamp at the different springs, and try by 

 this means to destroy the remnant of their stock; but m 

 this, for a long tinie, they were unsuccessful, for the IN'avajo 

 sheep, probably from force of habit, could thrive if oi 

 watered once every third or fourth day, and thus it happened 

 that when the troops had guarded a spring long enough, as 

 they supposed, to prove that no Indians or flocks were in that 

 district, and had left to go to another, the ^N'avajos, who were 

 quietly grazing their cattle in the secluded nooks amongst 

 the hills hard by, came down to the spring and refreshed 

 themselves with perfect impunity. 



Year after year they boldly held out, and plunder became 

 to them a necessity of existence, for they had no other means 

 of support. At last, however, this never-ceasing hostility 

 reduced the whole tribe to utter destitution, nor did they 

 give up until they were literally starvmg. In 1 8 6 3 the first 

 large section of them— I believe about five thousand in number 

 —delivered themselves* up to the government. They ^^ere 

 removed from theii- own coimtry, and placed upon a large 

 reservation on the Eio Pecos, and old Fort Sumner, which 

 had been abandoned, was re-established in the centre of the 

 reservation, for the purpose of caiTying out the design of the 

 government towards them. Since then, nearly all the re- 

 mains of the tribe have delivered themselves up, and to 

 the number of about seven thousand five huntbed have been 

 placed on the reservation. Mr. Ward is of opinion tliat a 

 very smaU fi-action indeed of this once powerful tribe is now 

 at large in the country north of the Ptio Colorado, and in 

 Utah Tenitory; but since, for years before they gave. in, the 

 advantage has been on the side of- the settlers against the 



