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Show The First Intruders: Explorers, Traders, and Slavers 25 Somewhat southwest of present-day Hurricane, Utah, the expedition camped. The next morning as they were leaving, they heard people shouting from behind them. Though apprehensive, eight Nuwuvi came down from the hills to trade. They displayed for barter "some sartas or strings of chalchihuite [stones of an emerald color], each string having a colored shell." 14 Perhaps these strings of stones were an established medium of exchange used in trading with other Indian nations. The Nuwuvi traders spoke with the Spanish for two or three hours, advising them against going to the Colorado in the direction they had planned. The terrain was very bad, and the river was uncrossable at the point they would reach. Escalante and Dominguez tried to secure a guide, but the Nuwuvi refused, saying they were barefoot and could not travel very well. This was probably a handy excuse or a joke because the Nuwuvi obviously knew the region thoroughly. Escalante suspected that the Hopis had encouraged the Nuwuvi to mislead him in order to keep Spaniards away from their villages.1" Two of the Nuwuvi finally agreed to put the Spaniards "on a good straight road." The Spanish began to follow the route which the Nuwuvi explained to them, even though they feared the Indians might be trying to lead them astray. The expedition soon ran out of food and couldn't find water. Fortunately, the Nuwuvi were watching their movements. The party spotted five Indians watching them from a mesa. As the Spaniards passed the foot of the mesa, the Nuwuvi spoke to them but wouldn't come down. Escalante and some others climbed the mesa to where one of the Nuwuvi was hiding. After Escalante embraced him and professed brotherhood, the Nuwuvi "laid his bow and arrows on the ground, took the interpreter by the hand, and went with him to bring them [his companions |."16 The five came and spoke with the Spanish, informing them that water was near at hand. The Spanish "begged them to go and show it to us promising them a piece of woolen cloth." 1? Three of the Nuwuvi led them to two large pools of good water at a place some 20 miles north of Mt. Trumbull, Arizona, where the party decided to camp. Fortunately for them the Nuwuvi were generous. Escalante wrote that after "learning that we came without provision, they told us to send one of our men with theirs to their |
