alace,
or a town hall, cannot be ascertained. The settlement or city
surrounding the ruin must have occupied a radius of quite ten miles,
judging from the ruins and pieces of broken pottery within that space.
An irrigating canal formerly ran from the Gila River to the city or
settlement, for domestic uses and for irrigation.

The Pima Indians have lived in their villages on the Gila River time
immemorial, at least they have no tradition of the time of their coming.
Their tribal organization has many features worthy imitation by more
civilized people. The government rests with a hereditary chief and a
council of sages. The rights of property are protected, as far as they
have any individual property, which is small, as they are in fact
communists. The water from the Gila River to irrigate their lands is
obtained by canals constructed by the common labor of the tribe.

In my intercourse with these Indians for many years they frequently
asked questions which would puzzle, the most profound philosopher to
answer. For instance, they inquired, "Who made the world and everything
therein?"

I replied, "God."

"Where does he live?"

"In the sky."

"What does he sit on?"

In their domestic relations they have a system thousands of years older
than the Edmunds Act, which works to suit them, and fills the
requirements of satisfied nationalities. The old men said the marriage
system had given them more trouble than anything else, and they finally
abandoned all laws to the laws of nature. The young people were allowed
to mate by natural selection, and if they were not satisfied they could
"swap."

In after years, when I was Superintendent of Indian Affairs, I selected
a stalwart Pima named Luis, who was proud of his acquirements in the
English language, and gave him a uniform, sword, and epaulettes about
the size of a saucer, to stand guard in front of my quarters.

One day I came out and found Luis walking with an ununiformed Pima, with
their arms around each other's waists, according to their custom. I
inquired, "Luis, who is that?"

"That is my brother-in-law."

"Did you marry his sister?"

"No."

"Did he marry your sister?"

"No."

"Then how is he your brother-in-law?"

"We swapped wives."

Among the Pimas there is no incentive to avarice, and the accumulation
of large personal fortunes. When a Pima dies, most of his personal
property, that is, house and household belongings, which he had used
during lif