and then reduced to paste by the vigorous friction of another oblong and partially rounded stone, in the hands of squaws "who love their lords." The paste so formed is then patted between the hands until it assumes a flat, thin and round appearance, when it is laid on a hot pan and baked into a tortilla. As no stones of a suitable character are found in the neighborhood of the Colorado river, nearer than Antelope Peak, the Yumas yearly visit that place to obtain them, as the metate is an indispensable culinary utensil.
Three days after we had occupied the pass we were visited by the Yumas, who immediately set to work selecting stones and hewing them into the required shape in their rude manner. But it was soon discovered that several blankets, and a revolver, for which I was responsible, had disappeared, and I determined to get rid of my Yumas friends soon—by stratagem if possible, by force if need be. The deadly feud between the Yumas and the Maricopas and Pimos has already been stated, and the knowledge of this feud served me in the case. The sentinel on the hill was instructed to give the alarm to indicate the advance of a body from the east, and to answer, when questioned, that they were Indians. As that side of the compass was occupied only by the Maricopas and Pimos, such an arrangement would probably have the effect of alarming the Yumas and ridding us of their presence. In obedience to order the signal was duly made and the programme carried out. The Yumas were greatly alarmed, and inquired whether I would protect them from the Maricopas. My answer was, that I had nothing at all to do with their quarrels; that the Maricopas were as much our friends as the Yumas; that I possessed no power to take sides, but was entirely subservient to the orders of my chief, and that, if they
