THE PIMO INDIANS. ; 233 
most luxuriant crops. At the western end of the 
valley is a rich tract of grass, where we had our 
encampment. This is a mile or more from the nearest 
village of the Coco-Maricopas. On the northern side 
of the river there is less bottom-land, and the irriga- 
tion is more difficult. There are a few cultivated 
spots here; but it is too much exposed to the attacks 
of their enemies for either tribe to reside upon it. 
The villages consist of groups of from twenty to 
fifty habitations, surrounded by gardens and cultivated 
fields, intersected in every direction by acequias, which 
lead the water from the Gila. Their mode of irriga- 
tion is the same as that practised in various parts of 
Mexico. Their cultivated fields are generally fenced 
with crooked stakes, wattled with brush, the thorny 
mezquit predominating; although I noticed large 
patches of wheat, along distance from any village, 
that were not inclosed. 
Their houses are built with stakes, poles, corn- 
shucks, and straw. For the small houses, four upright 
stakes forked at one end are inserted in the ground. 
For the larger dwellings nine are used; three on each 
side, and one in the centre. Across the tops of these, 
other sticks are laid to support the roof. Next a row 
of poles is inserted in the ground, a few feet outside 
the larger upright stakes, bent over towards the centre 
and fastened to the horizontal beams. These are then 
united in the centre, forming a slightly rounded top. 
Smaller poles are now horizontally interlaced with 
the upright ones, and between them straw, corn-shucks, 
or rushes are interwoven in large masses, so as to shed 
the rain and protect them from the intense heat of the 
