However, the friar’s scheme didn’t work; the Indian stood by in silence, until at last the saintly friar lost control of his temper, damned the Indian and his herbs and finally told him that if he’d dig up one of the roots he would chew it, nay, even swallow it, just to show him it was worthless.
The Indian took him at his word, dug up a root and handed it to him. Our friar was game and began chewing it. Accidentally he swallowed some of the bitter juice and in 15 minutes went through terrible convulsions, till death came.
Weather observation, travel and fishing aids, aqueous plants.
ECHINOCACTUS and SEMPERVIVUM
(Ind. Co-pash)
American Water-Barrel Cactus. An inhabitant of the arid Pacific southwestern deserts. Like all Indians in their boyhood days I was also warned of the great perils threatening human beings in the desert, and in order to meet any emergency which might arise, we received much instruction for the time to come when this was absolutely necessary for our safety. The schooling given us consisted chiefly of weather observation, how to detect the approach of severe desert storms from the very beginning of sunset through part of the night by watching the action of the stars, the night atmosphere and the various changes of the air currents.
All this had to be mastered to such a degree of perfection that I doubt very much if any Bureau of Meteorology could do better. Most of the changes indicated heat waves, electric rainstorms, terrific wind, sand storms, etc. The only instrument the Indian had was his index finger which he made use of by holding it in his mouth for a few seconds, then pulling it out quickly and thrusting it upright toward the sky, his eyes fixed on the North Star. The side of the finger which cooled quickest indicated the direction of the wind.
Now came our water compasses, very primitive in form, but instructive and true to sense of direction as direct leaders to water holes.
Of course the Indians venturing across the arid desert were always careful to take with them the Sempervivum—House Leek—and, as an extra measure of precaution, another plant which grows abundantly in the semi-arid regions. These very same things were taught some of the old white pioneers who were friendly and had shown kindness to the Indians, while others perished from lack of knowledge of how to make use of these plants—the Echinocactus and the Sempervivum, which furnish thirst-quenching juices.
The thorns of the Echinocactus were used by the Indians as fishhooks for deep-water fishing so that the modern fishhook is by no means the white man’s invention.
Both the Echinocactus and Sempervivum were also used for the prevention of swelling of the salivary glands as a result of the tongue being dry and inactive.