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THE APACHE NATION. 201
from the mountains of the Apaches and descend, in a South-
westerly direction, to the Gila, which showsthat it reaches a
higher latitude than 350, the extension is of one hundred and
fifty leagues,at least, from North to South,touching the VVestern
boundary of the Pimas. And if the Indians who overrun
New Mexico are of the same nation, the boundary may be
still more extensive towards the East. At least it cannot be
doubted that the same Indians who ravage Sonora go every
year to the fair of New Mexico, as is shown by the brands on
Sonora’s cattle carried to that market. a
Hence we see the territory occupied by this savage na-
tion is so vast that it exceeds in extension some of the king-
doms of Europe; but by this I do not wish to establish a
comparison between the Apaches and those nations, for their
‘manner of living is info catlo different. They are savagely
cruel '; they are divided into parties and make war against
each other ; and even those of the same party kill one another
as we know by our soldiers. An innocent child five or six
years old,that I found, told me that his father had been killed,
leaving him tied to a treewhen theyremoved their ranches to
another place. They have no fixed seat, none of their ranches,
unless it be that they are far inland, are permanent. The
ranches which’ are met with between the frontier of Sonora
and the Gila river are movable, here today and there to-mor-
row, according to the crops that present themselves, either of
Indian figs, or dates, or inezcales, etc, with the exception of
some places on the rivers Gila and San Francisco, as well as
the slopes of the Florida mountains and some other places
where the women occasionally plant maize.
It is the women’s task to look for provisions and Cook
them and even to tan the hides of horses, deer, etc., and to
make jackets, trousers, and shoes out of goat skins, While th6
men, when they are in their own country, do nothing but hunt
and amuse themselves. All their clothes, as I say, are of goat
skins. Those worn by the men consist in a jacket which
comes down to the waist,a cape tied at the shoulders, trousers
and shoes, all of the same material. As they wear shoes from