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Jacob Hamblin, a narrative of his personal experience, as a frontiersman, missionary to the Indians and explorer, [microform] disclosing interpositions of Providence, severe privations, perilous situations and remarkable escapes. Fifth book of the faith-p - Page 80 |
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Show 78 RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES OF THE MOQUIS. spring. The San Francisco Mountain lay a little to the south-east of us, and in sight. In the morning our Indian guide refused to go farther with us, his reason being that we were going into a country desti-tute of water. We counseled together, and decided that we could reach the foothills of the San Francisco Mountain with-out perishing. The first night from the " seep" spring, a light fall of snow came on. It melted and ran into the hollows of the rocks, and furnished an abundant supply of water. This seemed like a special providence in our favor. The second night we made a dry camp. The third night we arrived at the foot of the San Francisco Mountain, where we again found snow. The second day after leaving this mountain we reached the Little Colorado River, and then traveled a Httle north- east to the Moquis towns. We spent two days in visiting among them. We left Brothers Jehiel McConnell, Thales Haskell and Ira Hatch to labor among them for a season. The Moquis had been going through some religious cere-monies to induce the Great Spirit to send storms to wet their country, that they might raise an abundance of food the coming season. They assured us that their offerings and prayers were heard, for the storm would soon come, and advised us to delay starting for home until it should be over. We had been talking with them about sending some of their chief men with us, to see our people and have a talk with our leaders. They objected on account of a tradition forbidding them to cross the great river, which has been referred to before. We then started for home. The storm came the first night out and wet the country finely. We found shelter under a rock. While there, three Moquis men came to " us. They informed us that, after further consultation, their chief men had concluded to send them with us. This storm, apparently in answer to the prayers of this simple people, and similar circumstances that have come |