June 30, 1916. 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE and Reminder 11 
By Horseback Through Arizona 
Miss Rantoul of Beverly Farms and Salem Returns From Most Unusual Trip Through the Grea. 
‘*Painted Desert.”’ 
MISS Harriet C. RAnvtoun, daughter of Hon. Robert 
S. Rantoul, of Beverly Farms and Salem, has re- 
cently returned from a most unusual trip by horseback 
through the great ‘Painted desert” of Northeastern Ari- 
zona. 
Early in May Miss Rantoul and her companion, Miss 
Wheelwright of Boston, set out for Flagstaff, Arizona, 
where the start of the ‘trip was to be made by automobile. 
This part of the trip was accomplished with little effort 
and without accident. 
Hired automobiles were in readiness and with gears 
in high speed the first lap of the desert journey was start- 
ed. Over the sands, boards have been laid and a narrow 
roadbed thus made is remarkably smooth. The long 
stretches of sand were, indeed, beautiful with their many 
colors shifting back and forth, and off in the distance the 
snow-capped peaks of the San Francisco mountains glist- 
ened in the sunlight. 
One hundred miles into the desert brought the party 
to a trading post where the outfit was in readiness. It 
consisted of two guides, the best in the country, a wagoti 
with the supplies, tents and water, and four horses and 
three mules. Early in the morning the party moved for- 
ward for the first 20 miles of the trip northward. 
The desert is filled with constant surprises, here a 
stretch of deep sand, a little farther on a high cliff rising 
straight out of the flatness and on the other side, perhaps 
a slope of the most wondrous green, with tall trees, a 
scene more resembling a city park, than ‘on the edge of 
the world.” The monotony of the wide stretches of sand 
were relieved by the windmills, which have been placed 
nearly every 25 miles along the road, so that those out 
on the desert may easily reach water at the end of a fair 
day’s journey. These windmills have been a great help 
to the Navaho Indians, who lead a wandering life as they 
tend their sheep. 
After a thorough study of the map each morning, the 
ladies would start some hours in advance of the guides, 
who after breaking camp, followed on. Despite the fact 
that the broad highway was clearly ‘outlined, it was coni- 
paratively easy to lose the way in the many cross paths; 
and this did happen one day, and it was necessary for the 
ladies to strike into rough country, through the deep 
sands and sage bush, to again join the guides. 
The Indians were often passed and usually responded 
pleasantly enough to greeting. One day, however, the 
ladies heard the galloping of horse’s feet, and instead of 
seeing the expected guide, they were greeted with the 
sight of an Indian in full regalia, rushing madly toward 
them. A little bit startled they drew aside for him to 
pass, but he wheeled and engaged in an exciting mono- 
logue, which they could not understand. Having deliv- 
ered his little speech, the Indian wheeled, and rapidly 
rode off into the desert with hair flying and dust rising 
in clouds. 
Mention has been made of the steep hills of bare 
rock rising directly out of the desert, and it was toward 
one of these that the party was headed. Ate, 
On this particular hill was situated the yillage of the 
Hopi Indians, with its sandstone brick houses high upon 
the ledges, over 4000 feet above sea level. 
From a distance these villages were invisible, but 
after a climb of 300 or 400 feet up the side of a more or 
_ of gaiety as they talked with the strangers. 
less precipitous cliff, the mesas, or terraces were found to 
be well covered with Indian dwellings, at the summit cf 
the third mesa the party found the town of Walpi, with 
its 230 Indian inhabitants. Walpi, owing to research, i: 
the best known of the Indian villages. | 
After a night’s encampment near this village tne 
party pushed on to Oraibi, the oldest and largest Hopi 
pueblo. This town until recently numbered over 1000 
inhabitants, but migration has reduced that number con- 
siderably. When the government introduced its school 
system to Oraibi, half of the inhabitants objected to the 
coming of strangers and so they went out and formed 
another village which is most primitive, and the inhab- 
itants are quite wild and savage. Strangers are espe¢- 
cially detested and the dogs are set on any who venture 
into their domain. 
The houses at Oraibi are arranged one on top of the 
other and are reached by ladders placed on the side of the 
wall. When the top of the house is reached it is neces- 
sary to climb down through a hole ‘in the roof frora 
which is suspended another narrow ladder. 
3read-making is one of the chief occupations of the 
women folk and this article of food forms the main por- 
tion of the day’s meals. First a flat heated stone is rub- 
bed with crushed water-melon seed and then a thin batter 
of corn and water. Just a moment is required for bak- 
ing, then it is lifted and rolled in long rolls and put aside 
to cool. 
Bread forms an important part in the forming of an 
engagement. The Hopi women are suffragists and they 
own all the property and absolutely rule the household. 
They also do the proposing and in a manner most unique. 
The Hopi maiden picks out her man and then bakes her 
bread; the wealthier the maiden the higher she piles the 
bread. ‘This task completed the maid goes to the house 
where her intended lives and raps on the door, if the door 
is opened she is accepted, if it remains closed, she is not 
accepted: Immediately upon acceptance the bride goes to 
live in her husband’s house which becomes her property. 
If at any time the husband displeases, the wife places the 
saddle on the outside of the door and he is forced to leave 
her in possession. 
The travelers soon took up their journey into the 
Navaho country, a reservation set aside by the United 
States and containing in all 16,000 Indians. So widely 
scattered are they, that one may travel for hours without 
seeing a solitary Indian, but the presence of horses run- 
ning wild, testifies to the fact that they are not many 
miles distant. 
The Navahos have strong migratory instincts and 
they wander about like true nomads, frequenting water 
holes or fertile valleys, in order that their sheep may find 
fodder. The sale of wool of these sheep furnishes a 
steady income to the Indians. 
The Navahos were quite lively Indians and, were full 
At Chin Lee 
one of the largest government. schools. is situated and 
nearly all the Indians were pupils at various. times. The 
children are quick-witted and their teachers said that up 
_to the age of 12 years they are very eager to learn, but 
beyond that age they slowly dropped backward and be- 
came stupid and dull, Possibly this is due to the con- 
