18
T H E U T A H HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
were advised that they were at liberty to return to their homes in peace.
FATHER ESCALANTE AND THE UTAH INDIANS (Continuing: "Some Useful Early Utah Indian References.") By J. Cecil Alter Continued from "Diary and Tavels of Fray Francisco Atanasio Dominguez and Fray Silvertre Velez De Escalante, to discover a route from the Presidio of Sante Fe, New Mexico, to Monterey in Southern California," in "The Catholic Church in Utah," by Dr. W. R. Harris. "September 25, 1776 (at Spanish Fork). * * * "The Indians of whom we have spoken, live in the neighborhood, and subsist upon the abundant fish of the (Utah) Lake, for which reason the Yutas and the Sabueganas called them the Fish-eaters. (See p. 77, July, 1928, Utah Historical Quarterly.) They also gather seeds and herbs, and from them make atole (a kind of gruel); they also hunt wild hares, rabbits and fowls, which are very abundant here. There are also buffaloes, not very far away, to the north-northwest, but fear of the Comaches1 hinder these Indians from hunting them. Their dwelling places are huts of cane, of which they also make curious baskets and other useful articles. They are very poorly clothed; the most decent garment they wear is a jacket of buckskin and moccasins and leggings of the same. For cold weather they have blankets made of rabbit skins; they use the Yuta language, but with a great many changes and accents, and even some foreign words, They are good-looking, and most of them without any beard. In all parts of these mountains, south-southwest, the west and the southeast, there live a great many of the same people as the Lagunas (see page 80, July, 1928, Utah Historical Quarterly), with the same language and gentleness, among whom might be formed a province of many large settlements. The names of the chiefs that are in the "token" spoken of above, are in their own language, the Big Chief being Turunianchi; the second, Cuitzapununchi; of the third, which is our Silvestre, Panchucumqui•Comniiclie. One of the southern tribes of the Shoshonean stock, and the only one of that group living entirely on the plains. Their language and traditions show t h a t they are a comparatively recent offshoot from the Shoshoni of Wyoming, both tribes speaking practically the same dialect, and until very recently, keeping up constant and friendly communication.
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The Comanche were nomad buffalo hunters, constantly on the move, cultivating little from the ground, and living in skin tipis. They were long noted as the finest horsemen of the plains and bore a reputation for dash and courage. They have a high sense of honor and hold themselves superior to the other tribes with which they are associated. F . W. Hodge, Handbook of American Indians.
