American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-08-17

some holes looking like steps cut into tn
stone, which seemed to lead up to poin
where one of the peculiar stone slabs
have described leaned against the cliff
The opposite side of the canon was accee
sible, and not more than two hundre,
yards distant, so we went over there, ant
climbed to point somewhat higher thai
the Pueblo. l then saw the ledge o
groove in the rock, in which the Pueblo
was built, ran along the cliff for a quartz
of mile, some distance beyond where W,
found the stone steps, and thought | saw
signs similar to steps, leading down from
it a little way toward the detached slab
Possibly, thought, this slab may have
been fast above when the village had in
habitants, and furnished them a winding
stairway. / saw, also, that the houses
were of most admirable construction
built of flat stones laid in mortar, and
neatly whitewashed inside, and that the
joists were of massive timber, round,
nearly foot thick, and dressed with some
care. AT the distance of seven or eight
hundred feet there was much uncertainty,
but fancied l also saw fragments of iron
or leather on the floor of one house the
only one into which the sunshine fell di-
rectly. From the situation of the cliffs,
judge that about ten o'clock in the morn
ing the sun would be shining directly in
lne 'front.' door.
A remarkable echo is observable here.
A sentence of ten words shouted from
the south side is returned clearly and dis
tinctly. Not far below we found the
ruins of another house not more than
forty feet high, with shelving rock below.
The NavajOe found steps to lead half way
up. He then walked along a fiat offset
five or six feet below the house, and held
his hands against my feet while | climbed
a shelving rock and reached the house. 1t
was in ruins, and most of the material
lay in heap in the canon below. Only
the fireplace and chimney, built against
the cliff remained whole; they were of
the common Pueblo pattern, and showed
dabs of white-wash. l sustained one seri-
GUS disappointment. Through some
who instructed him at Defiance, 1 missed
the greatest wonders. We ought to have
turned up the Canon de Chelley from
where we entered it, and a mile or two
would have brought us to the largest
Pueblo, one capable of containing five
people, and situated on a ledge
fifteen hundred feet above the canon
and three hundred below the cliff
had been told of this at Defiance, but
through ignorance of the locality missed
seeing it and several others. A lieuten-
i
since with ropes and powerful field
glass. From the opposite side he saw
the interior of most of the houses, all of
the common Pueblo style. They were
neatly whitewashed, and the fragments
of acquarra showed that they had
transparent windows. Broken pottery
lay around in heaps. but there
were no skeletons or indications of
any, showing either that the inhabitants
had ample time to escape or that time has
destroyed all trace of them. This village,
it is said, could be reached by ropes from
above; and as l have only partly attempt
ed what ought to be well and scientifically
done, 1 venture suggestion. A party of
half dozen should start from Defiance,
with ropes, ladder or two, and power
ful field glasses; and thus several of the
ruins could be reached. The country is
perfectly safe, only two hundred and fifty
niles from Santa Fe, and the Navajoes
Ire the best of guides and servants.
Many and various are the theories
among the few whites who have visited
hese places as to their inhabitants, and
now they reached their houses. Besides that
Of the rope ladders previously mention
I'd, it is often suggested that the bed of the
canon was at that height when the houses
we're built, and has since washed down.
But this will not do, for the plainest indi
cations show that it would require, at the
very least, hundred thousand years for
such a wearing down, or washing out, to
AXE place. Besides, the best evidence
shows that the cannon is filling, instead
Of deepening, on account of the sand
drifting down. In my opinion, these
slabs of stone help to explain it. But
his is only venture, and whether there
we're once projections from the cliff suffi
,ient to furnish road, since fallen away,
t will take more evidence to settle. / can
,nly sum up as do other visitors: The
houses are there, and l have seen them,
,ut how they got there is mystery.
Who were the inhabitants? Pueblos
l think of the same
General stock as the Moquis, Zunis and
reguas. The houses are an exact repro
luction of those formerly described at
he Pueblo de Laguna, including stone,
Mortar, towers, acquarra windows and
interior. The country, once,
10 doubt, contained five times as many
IS to-day, since swept off by the increas-
ng drought, Utes and Apaches. Their |
Whole existence was a continual war. |
They seem to have retreated from the |
over valleys to the most hidden or de- |
ensible canons, and then to these cliffs, |
where their horse riding enemies could |
lot follow them. There they pastured |
heir goats in rugged gorges, and cult
-ated few little patches where they |
ould find water. They must often have
uttered seasons of famine, and probably |
lever had an abundance and by the |
lind law of nature forbidding increase |
With no promise but want and misery, |
he nation slowly dwindled away. The |
.unis, Moquis, Colimas, New Mexican
'ueblos and the Teguas, perhaps also the |
'imoles and Maricopas, are their frag-
survivors. Their ruins, and |
'roken pieces of their pottery, still attest |
heir former extent. The agency party |
discovered on the San Juan the ruins of |
me Pueblo which might have contained |
wo thousand inhabitants. Nor was it |
Lbandoned on account of drought; their |
still remain, and the San Juan is |
mple to fill them.-driz0na Cor. CI1ciu- |