OCR Text |
Show and can be irrigated by the waters of the Santa Clara river, and is suitable for the production of wheat, corn, cotton, rice, and other produce, all of which has been raised to some considerable wxtent at the fort. The situation of the Indians on the river was truly lamentable being almost naked; while want, destitution, and misery were plainly depicted on their countenances, produced in a great measure by famine; caused by the destruction of their crops by grasshoppers during the past year. And their appeals to me for bread to satisfy the cravings of hunger, were such that I could not withstand administering to their wants, which I did as far as circumstances would admit; their only provision being snakes, lizards, and buds of the cottonwood tree. The head chief Mua-co-via informed me that they had managed to save enough of their crop of last year for seed, and had applied if for that purpose. I visited several of their little farms or patches, and noticed in several instances where their corn was two feet high, which had been planted in land prepared with the other implements than a rough stick taken from the Cottonwood tree, and hewn with a knife something in the shape of spades. One instance I will mention which shows the industry and perseverance of this land. One of the chiefs Que-o-gau took me to his farm and showed me the main irrigating ditch, which was to convey the water from the river on his land, which I found to be half a mile long, |