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Show Record When we went down into Cataract Canyon to the eleventh rapid, we brought our boat back upstream through the rapids and on up to Moab. 3524 In my travels over the San Juan and lower Colorado Rivers, I became acquainted with the Navajo race to some extent and gained knowledge of quite a number of their superstitions and 3525 legends. The Indians were very much afraid of the canyons; it is almost impossible to get them to go down with you. In fact we never could get an Indian to go down with us into a canyon. They hear the rocks rolling down there and say it is the Great Spirit. They attribute the noise from rolling rocks to a supernatural cause and seem to believe that the canyons are inhabited by spirits. 3526 I never know them to eat a fish caught from any stream, it being one of their traditions or legends that they fought the cliff Dwellers and defeated them repeatedly and finally drove them into a big bend of the river; that rather than be captured the cliff Dwellers jumped into the river and were turned into what is called the hump- backed fish. That superstition has kept them from eating fish and they won't let you get near them with a fish if they can help it. I never knew of a Navajo fishing in those rivers. In response to questions propounded by the Special Master Mr. Mendenhall testified: There are Indian drawings on the rocks along the Colorado 3527 River all through that country. There is a quite significant drawing in Hanson Canyon up a few miles from the river and also in Smith's Canyon right on the Colorado River. You find inscriptions all along the Colorado River, but not so frequent as along the San Juan River. Resuming his cross examination Mr. Mendenhall testified: 3528 In all my years of experience on the Green, Colorado and San Juan Rivers, I have never lost a boat and the only serious mishap I have over had is on the occasion I have referred to when I lost a boat and later recovered it. |