the grand canyon of arizona-第30节

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Both　ancient　and　modern　ware；　the　latter　in　large　variety；　may　be　seen　and　purchased　at　the　Hopi　House。

Navaho　Silverware。　Of　equal　interest　is　the　making　of　silverware　by　the　Navaho　peshlikai；　or　silversmith；　whose　primitive　forge　is　in　the　first　room　entered　at　the　Hopi　House。

Fondness　for　Silver。　The　innate　desire　of　a　primitive　people　for　personal　adornment　early　led　the　pueblo　Indians　to　a　use　of　metal。　When　the　Spaniards　and　Mexicans　came　among　them；　the　iron；　brass　and　copper　of　the　conquerors　were　soon　added　to　the　dried　seeds；　shell　beads；　pieces　of　turquoise　and　coral　they　had　hitherto　used。　But　silver　has　ever　been　their　favorite　metallic　ornament。　Long　ago　they　formed　an　ideal　in　the　Spanish　don　or　Mexican　vaquero；　with　his　personal　apparel　adorned　with　silver；　his　horse's　bridle　trapped　out　with　silver　belts；　buckles　and　buttons；　and　his　saddle　and　its　equipment　studded　with　silver　nails　and　other　fanciful　expressions　of　adornment。　From　the　Mexican　and　the　pueblo　Indian　he　rapidly　picked　up　the　necessary　knowledge；　and　practice　soon　gave　the　skill　to　fashion　the　silver　into　every　desired　shape。

Navahos　Used　Silver　Three　Centuries　Ago。　Cushing　contends　that　the　Zunis　knew　how　to　smelt　metals　before　the　Spanish　conquest；　but　the　statement　is　strongly　disputed。　There　can　be　no　question；　however；　but　that　the　large　use　of　silver　ornaments　by　both　pueblo　and　Navaho　Indians　dates　from　three　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago；　after　Coronado's　conquistadores　had　found　out　that　this　was　no　land　of　gold　and　precious　metals；　as　was　Peru。

In　almost　every　pueblo　of　Arizona　and　New　Mexico；　and　in　many　a　Navaho　hogan；　one　may　find　the　primitive　silversmith　at　work。　There　is　no　silversmith's　shop；　but　generally　in　a　corner　of　the　quaint　pueblo　house；　or　in　an　adjunct　to　the　Navaho　hogan；　the　worker　quietly　pursues　his　important　avocation；　for　in　a　community　whose　members　have　no　other　metallic　arts；　the　silversmith　is　an　important　man；　and　sees　to　it　that　his　profession　is　regarded　with　the　high　dignity　it　deserves。

Method　of　Working。　With　a　rude　mud　forge；the　bellows　of　which；　though　primitive；　is　as　ingenious　as　any　patent　bellows　invented；a　hammer；　a　piece　of　railroad　steel　for　an　anvil；　a　three…cornered　file；　one　or　two　punches；　a　crucible　which　he　understands　how　to　make　as　well　as　the　best　metallurgist　in　the　land；　and　a　bit　of　solder；　he　goes　to　work。　Sometimes　he　runs　his　melted　Mexican　dollars　into　primitive　moulds；　again　he　hammers　the　metal　into　the　shape　he　requires。　He　creates　rings；　some　of　them　containing　rude　pieces　of　turquoise；　garnet；　etc。；　well　designed　bracelets；　belt…disks；　large　and　small　silver　buttons　（some　of　which　are　admirably　adapted　for　belt…buckles）；　earrings；　necklaces；　crosses；　beads；　bangles；　clasps　of　silver　for　bridles；　etc。

Ornaments　and　jewelry。　The　two　most　cherished　objects　are　the　waist…belt　and　the　necklace；　though　far　more　rings　and　bracelets　are　to　be　found。　But　this　is　on　account　of　the　great　expense　of　the　former。　The　waist　belts　generally　consist　of　eight　moulded　plates；　either　circular　or　oval；　with　filleted　border　and　scalloped　edges；　each　plate　weighing　from　two　to　four　ounces。　These　are　punctured　in　the　center；　or　a　small　band　is　soldered　to　the　back；　to　admit　of　their　being　threaded　upon　a　long　and　narrow　belt　of　leather；　the　ends　of　which　are　fastened　with　a　buckle。　Both　men　and　women　wear　these；　and　they　are　highly　prized　as　ornaments　by　both　sexes。　The　necklaces　are　equally　in　vogue；　the　designs　being　principally　hollow　beads；　crosses；　and　ornaments　representing　pomegranate　blossoms。　The　silver　bridle　is　also　an　object　of　great　esteem。　It　is　made　of　curiously　designed；　heavy　clasps　of　silver；　fastened　upon　leather；　with　numberless　buttons　shaped　from　coins。　Many　of　these　weigh　not　less　than　fifteen　ounces；　and　some　as　high　as　forty；　hence　their　value　can　be　readily　estimated。



CHAPTER　XIX。　The　Hopis　And　Their　Snake　Dance

A　Hopi　Religious　Rite。　Interesting　among　Indians；　because　of　their　unique　houses　on　the　summits　of　high　mesas；　reached　only　by　precipitous　trails；　the　Hopi　of　northern　Arizona　always　have　possessed　peculiar　fascination　on　account　of　their　thrilling　religious　rite；　known　as　the　Snake　Dance；　an　account　of　which　follows。*

*　This　Sacred　Dance　and　the　life　of　the　Hopi　Indians　is　more　fully　set　out　in　the　author's　larger　work　〃The　Indians　of　the　Painted　Desert　Region〃。


The　Painted　Desert。　The　region　they　live　in；　named　the　Province　of　Tusayan　by　the　Spanish　conquistadores；　three　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago；　is　a　region　of　color。　The　rocks　of　which　the　mesas　are　built；　the　sand　of　the　desert；　the　peculiarly　carved　buttes　which　abound　on　every　hand；　are　all　strikingly　colored；　with　such　a　variety　of　hues　and　tints　that　one　does　not　wonder　at　the　namethe　Painted　Desertwhich　is　applied　to　the　country　through　which　we　must　travel　to　reach　Hopiland。

A　Saddle　Trip　from　El　Tovar。　The　traveler　who　wishes　to　visit　this　fascinating　and　unique　region　can　arrange　for　full　equipment　at　El　Tovar。　The　trip　will　be　a　saddle　one　and　all　outfits　will　have　to　be　transported　on　pack　burros。

The　Old　Hopi　Trail。　The　road　followed　is　practically　the　line　of　the　old　Hopi　trail。　On　the　way　out；　the　interested　traveler　may　visit　Grand　View　Point　and　Hotel；　Hance's　Old　Camp　and　Trail；　the　Red　Canyon　Trail；　Moran's；　and　all　the　other　salient　points　at　the　eastern　end　of　the　Grand　Canyon。　Especially　should　he　stand　on　faraway　Navaho　Point；　or　Desert　View。　This　is　the　last　of　the　promontories　before　the　rim　of　the　Canyon　turns　sharply　to　the　north。　Below　it；　a　vast　amphitheatre　is　opened　out　with　more　precipitous　walls　than　at　any　other　part　of　the　Canyon。　The　sweep　of　the　river；　the　mouth　of　Marble　Canyon；　the　superlative　richness　of　coloring　at　this　point；　combined　with　the　unequalled　views　of　the　Painted　Desert；　which　lies　to　the　right；　or　east；　afford　a　place　of　varied　delight；　scarce　found　elsewhere　on　the　whole　Canyon　rim。

Hopi　Cornfields。　Crossing　the　Little　Colorado　River　at　the　Tanner　Crossing；　Moenkopi　is　visited；　and　then　a　day's　ride　of　forty　miles　over　the　Painted　Desert　brings　one　to　the　cornfields　of　the　Hopi；　as　properly　they　should　be　called。　For　years；　they　have　been　known　as　the　Moki；　a　term　of　reproach　applied　in　derision　by　the　Navahos。　These　cornfields　are　a　wonderful　monument　to　the　thrift　of　the　Hopi。　White　men　would　have　starved　to　death　in　the　place；　before　they　would　have　dreamed　of　planting　corn　in　such　an　inhospitable…looking　soil。　No　springs　or　streams　sufficient　to　irrigate　with；　unversed　in　digging　wells　and　pumping　water　to　the　surface；　one　would　have　thought　an　ignorant　Indian　would　have　looked　elsewhere　before　planting　his　corn　in　such　a　place。　But　the　Indian　is　not　so　ignorant。　His　life；　from　the　cradle　to　the　grave；　is　one　of　close　observation。　His　very　existence　depends　upon　its　exercise。　He　soon　discovered；　therefore；　that　there　was　a　natural　subsoil　irrigation　in　certain　parts　of　this　desert；　where　his　corn　would　grow。　And　grow　it　does；　most　wonderfully。　Sometimes　water　is　scarce；　then　the　crop　decreases；　but　generally　a　good　crop　may　be　relied　upon。　To　hoe　his　cornfield；　a　Hopi　will　often　run　over　the　desert　forty；　fifty；　sixty；　and　even　eighty　miles　in　a　day。　Sometimes；　when　the　field　is　near　by；　the　Hopi　will　ride　on　his　burro。　These　cunning　creatures　are　almost　a　necessity　of　Indian　life。　The　streets　would　seem　lonely　without　them。　It　will　be　noticed　occasionally　that　one　of　these　animals　has　lost　part　of　his　left　ear。　This　is　proof　that　he　is　possessed　of　kleptomaniac　proclivities。　If　a　burro　is　found　stealing　corn；　he　is　sentenced　to　have　part　of　his　ear　cut　off。

Oraibi。　On　one　of　these　burros　we　ride　up　the　steep　trail　that　brings　us　to　the　westernmost　village　of　the　Hopi；　Oraibi。　It　is　perched　high　on　the　mesa　top；　several　hundred　feet　above　the　valley；　and　the　various　trails　are　steep　and　rugged。　Some　of　them　are　sheer　climbs；　up　which　no　animal　other　than　man　can　go。　There　are　six　other　villages；　three　of　them　ten　miles；　and　the　other　three　about　twenty　miles；　to　the　east　of　Oraibi。　They；　also；　are　perched　upon　high　mesas；　which　thrust　themselves；　like　long　fingers；　into　the　sandy　desert。　On　the　middle　mesa　are　Shungopavi；　Mashongnovi　and　Shipaulovi；　while　on　the　eastern　mesa　are　Walpi；　Sichomovi　and　Hano。

Sandstone　Houses。　All　the　houses　are　built　of　rude　pieces　of　sandstone；　cemented　with　mud。　Steps　are　made　of　larger　slabs　of　stone；　and　often　the　only　means　of　access　is　by　long　ladders；　the　poles　of　which　tower　high　above　the　buildings；　and　give　a　singularly　picturesque　aspect　to　the　village。　In　the　olden　days；　there　were　neither　doors　nor　windows　in　the　first　story　of　the　houses。　They　were　built　so　purposely；　since　they　must　serve　for　fortresses　as　well　as　homes。

Hopi　Wafer。　Bread。　One　is　often　likely　to　find　a　woman　engaged　in　making　piki。　Piki　is　a　wafer　bread；　peculiar　to　the　Hopis。　It　is　finer　than　the　finest　tortilla　of　the　Mexican；　or　oatcake　of　the　Scotch。　No　biscuit　maker　in　America　or　England　can　make　a　cracker　one…half　so　thin。　The　thinnest　cracker　is　thick　compared　with　piki；　and　yet　the　Hopi　make　it　with　marvelous　dexterity。　Cornmeal　batter　in　a　crude　earthenware　bowl；　is　the　material；　a　smooth