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Show 179 of the area explored by the White Mountain explorers, while the Shoshonis ranged across the northern region. These Indians were poor, even by Indian standards. Their clothing consisted of a rabbit skin cape when clothing was worn at all. They had no horses, no tribal organization, and few weapons. They wandered in family units across the deserts in search of the bare necessities of life, and, even in this, they were sometimes unsuccessful. A bad year or harsh winter would kill them off by the hundreds. Their numbers were also decimated by the Mexican slave trade which had flourished for years between the Utes and Navahos and the Mexican settlements. For years the stronger, horse-mounted neighbors of these Diggers had captured their children and sold them to slave dealers in California and New Mexico. Many of these poor natives eventually accepted this fate for their children and bartered them with the Utes and Navahos for 2^ jaded horses which they usually ate. George W. Bean, who was presently exploring the area north of Dame's operation, made similar observations. In a report to Brigham Young, Bean stated: The Indians who inhabit this region are scattered. We found a few on every range of mountains in a most abject state of poverty, being almost naked and living on such roots, reptiles and insects as they can gather. They looked as poor and as weak, as a man who had suffered a month's sickness. The most of them call themselves Sboshones. They talk the Digger Tongue. A few in the south are Piedes, who exist in constant dread of the Tosanwick or White Knifes, Pahvantes and Utes, who rob them of their squaws and children, from time to time. They seemed much pleased on becoming acquainted with us, although at first, they were so shy that we were compelled to follow them, with horses till they could ^ 24 run no further, in order to get to talk to them. |