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Show 284 THE SPANISH ARCHIVES OF NEW MEXICO the guns frightened them to such an extent that they hurled themselves upon the ground. The crossing was made above the mouth of the Gila, and it is noted in Anza’s diary that there was a drouth; that the river was only three and a half feet in depth and five hundred and seventy feet in width. Anza describes the river and its surroundings, the San Dionicio of Father Kino, a Yuma rancheria, now the town of Yuma, Arizona; the purple hills ten miles to the north-northwest, through whose gorge the Colorado emerges into the valley; the large peak which he calls Cabeza de Gigante, now named Castle Dome; a smaller peak fifteen miles to the north, which he calls La Campana, the bell, now known as Chimney Peak. He also notes that below the junction of the Colorado and the Gila the united river is confined to a narrow strait about one hundred varas in width between ordinary bluffs. This place he called Puerto de la Concepcion. Here, in 1780, was established on the California side the mission of La Purissima Concepcion, the present Fort Yuma. Safely across with his baggage he made camp for the night but was much troubled with naked Indians, to whom he gave an ox and some tobacco and trinkets, thinking that they would leave, which, however they failed to do, staying with them that night. bust, The Yumas, he says, were tall and ro- lighter complexioned than the Pimas, but their faces were disfigured with paint. They bored three or four holes in their ears in which were suspended rings; the cartilege to be covered. Their hair of the nose they also pierced and through it they passed bunches of feathers or a palm stick, eight and a half inches in length and as thick as a large quill. They went naked for they considered it womanly was dressed with clay and upon this they put a powder with a silver lustre. When sleeping they sat up in order not to disturb this peculiar head-dress. They used bows and arrows of a poor sort and clubs. The women were of good size like the men and their faces were about like those of other Indian women; none specially ugly and none noticeably beautiful. The women wore a short petticoat reaching to the knee, divided into two parts, that in front being the shorter. Anza estimated the Yumas to be about 3900 in population. The lands were very rich ; wheat grew without irrigation and there were no lands in Sonora that could produce better; he wag surprised at the amount of maize, beans, Squashes, and melons grown. He says oo gated. dams the lands for long distances could be irri- THE SPANISH ARCHIVES OF NEW MEXICO 806 YSARZA, 1780. ANTONIO MANUEL ps. 285 19, September Letter to the Cavallero de Croix giving information about if the advancement of an officer. CROIX, CAVALLERO 1780. pz, Chihuahua, September 19, Letter to the governor of New Mexico relative to the exLE travagant use of powder by the soldiers. CROIX, 1780. CAVALLERO pz, Chihuahua, 12, October Letter to the governor of New Mexico relative to officers and men abandoning their posts and the punishment se for. CROIX, CAVALLERO pz, Chihuahua, 23, October 1780. Letter to the governor of New Mexico ordering the payment of one hundred pesos for the head of every Indian and a like sum for captives. 1f December COMPANY. PRESIDIAL FE SANTA D4, Liou. Diary of occurrences for the month of December, 1780. 1f January 1, SANTA FE PRESIDIAL COMPANY. 1781. Blank forms for records and applications for eee MUNOZ JURADO, FR. DIEGO, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, January 2-November 15, 1781. Complaint CROIX, of the inhabitants against him. CAVALLERO ps, Chihuahua, 1781. No espana January 10, a Letter to the governor of New Mexico transmitting om in favor of the soldier, Tomas Roibal. SANTA FE, PRESIDIO OF, January 19, 1781. Instructions relative to plan for a new presidio according to the plans of Don Geronimo Contains a plat of Santa Fe. de la Rocha y ce amma |
