16 
TONTOS.—TRIBES OF THE COLORADO. 
a coincidence worth noting, that tvlien Father Marco de Nica, in 1539, was in search of the 
kingdom of Cevola, (now Zuni,) he met an Indian from that place, who gave him information 
of several great nations and pneblos. After having described Cevola, the friar adds : Like¬ 
wise he saith that the kingdom of Totonteac lieth towards the west; a very mighty province, 
replenished with infinite store of people and riches.” The position indicated, tuest from Zuni, 
would apply to Pueblo creek, and it would he an easy corruption for the name Totonteac to pass 
into Tonto. Don Jose Cortez, as may he seen in chapter vi, calls them Apaches ; hut Sevedra, 
who is a well-informed Mexican, and, having been much 
among wild tribes of Indians, is generally considered au¬ 
thority in whatever relates to them, says that Tontos are 
Indians of Montezuma, like those of the pueblos of Hew 
Mexico. Pimas, Maricopas, Cuclians, and Mojaves, also, he 
adds, belong to the same great nation. In proof of this, he 
asserts that they all have one custom—that of cropping the 
front hair to meet their eyebrows,* suffering the rest, back of 
their ears, to grow and hang down its full length. 
The Colorado river flows through a superb valley, which, 
since its first exploration by Alarcon in 1540, has been 
occupied, and, to a considerable extent, cultivated by tribes 
having a fixed residence and permanent abodes. They have 
no wandering propensities, and never have degenerated to 
the barbarous condition of the Apache nation and the Snake 
tribe of Indians. The accompanying sketch of this country is 
from a tracing upon the ground by a Yuma (Cuchan) Indi¬ 
an, giving the names and positions of various tribes as indi¬ 
cated by him. 
Yuma map of Rio Colorado, with the names and location rpp e ex j stence 0 f several of these tribes appears to be 
of tribes within its valley. 1 
known to Indians only. The same names were given to 
me in 1849, by the chief of the Yumas, at the mouth of the Rio Gila. Their population could 
not be ascertained from him. 
The sketch which follows was traced by the chief of the Chemehuevis, who makes no mention 
of a mingling of other tribes with the Cuclians and Mojaves : 
Plate 3. 
o There is not an exception to this rule among the Gila and Colorado Indians. 
