Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/87

76 76 INDIANS LIKE GIANTS. Indians who inhabitated Arizona, New Mexico, Cali- fornia, and Kansas we herewith produce some ex- tracts from the United States Government records: It was on the Coast of California where the fol- lowing incident is recorded. "After going 150 leagues they came to a province of exceedingly tail and Strong men — ^like giants. They are naked and Uve in large straw cabins built under ground, like smoke houses, with only the straw roof above ground. They enter these at one end and come out at the other. More than a hundred persons, old and young, sleep in one cabin. When they carry anything they place it upon their heads, and in this manner they can carry a load of three or four hundred pounds. Once our men wished to fetch a log for the fire and six men were unable to carry it, and one of these Indians is reported to have come and raised it in his arms, put it on his head alone, and carried it easily. (In a note, the strength of the people is verified by Sir Francis Drake, who visited the coasts of California.) Wlien Don Pedro de Tovar arrived there (Sonora), he found that the natives had killed a soldier with a poisoned arrow, which had made only a little wound in one hand. Several soldiers went to the place where this hap- pened to see about it, and they were not well received. A force seized the chiefs of the village, but after- wards th^y were exchanged for some thread and cloth and other things which the soldiers needed. Finding them.sclvcs free, they, renewed the war and made an attack. _ As they were strong and had poisoned arrows tiiey killed ,several of the Spaniards and wounded others, so that they died on the way back.-