Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-02-16

The correspondent of the New
York World in speaking of the re,
suits of the Hayden Expedition
says:
! Ever since the discovery of precious
| metals along the southern border OF
/ Colorado pruspecters and explorers
/ have brought Lack vague and almost
| fabulous stories of ruined civiliZa
| ton, entirely different aud far supe-
riOr 10 ANY now known among the
abOrigines In some notes on this bH
1 rinus locality by Mr.. Ernest IngersoIl,
I natursiist, who accompanied Mr..
Jackson. he says:
Perhaps the most interesting section
visited 10y us was Included among the
canyons which drain southwark into
the san Juan River This ''canyuh
country" AS il is Called Is of the most
! peculiar geological character, showing
everywhere curious effects of erosion
and atmosphere carving, resulting in
q succession of table lands tmesas) cut
into terrific canyons, having absolute
~ perpendicular walls and rocky faces
from 500 to | 500 feet high, This re-
gion is now occupied by Weeminuches
amp Pi-Ute Indians, but traces of a
former inhabitancy were everywhere
10 be seen By those ROCKING for them,
and we here found evidences i'm pro-
fusion of q civilization antedating any
thing at present known in North
America, that threw Into the shade all
else We first found in the CANYON of
the RIO MancOs mounds of earth, con-
cealing piles of earthenware, masonry,
and strewn with fragments of pottery,
ornamented 10y imprinted designs on
the outside, and glazed and painted
within. Then the mOtindS became
more numerous, and clustered INTO
villages : vestigeS of ancient walls OF
Tegularly-cHt stone, and round towers
in All excellent state of preservation.
together with the remains of under
ground work hops appeared; These
were IN the villages, and recorded the
prosperous condition at that TIME of
this ancient people when all these
fertile river bottoms blOssOmed and
bore fruit in abundance. But after
warts adversely came. They were
evidently a peaceful people, and, at
tackled by h0rdes from the NOrth-a
war of Guths aud VandaIs surging
down upon their Rnman civilization
they fed TO the cliffs of these wonder
ful canyons near 10y, and there erected
houses upon hedges aud benches in the
very face of the bluffs where moth
ing but q bird could reach them except
by single dizzy trail. capable of be-
ing defended 10y one against a thous-
aud. Here they were secure from at
tack, but were i'll able to stand long
seiges, and gradually left even these
swallows nest tn move sOuth isto the
"mesas' of Arizona, ami there, deci-
mated in numbers and broken in spIr-
it, hid away from their pursuers. :
Even now we can find their remnants
in the Moquis villages. Now, this Is
not poetry, bat a reality aud vOumay
find their houses bow, built of careful
ly-cut stone; faced smoothly without,
two and three stories high, plastPred
aud painted within 300 feet sheer up
Id the top of the bluff, 500 feet sheer
down to the bottom. How they got
to them is in some cases yet apparent |
in the steps and ZigZag paths cut ia |
the face of the rock. bot in most eases |
having probably been |
by erosion through time.
But it is impossible To enter into de- |
taIlsi all of which. together with many |
photographic Illustrations, will lie
carefully set forth in the forthcoming |
annual report Of Professor Hayden
Suffice it 10 say that there remains |
all expectations Or reports,
and of ineetimRble value In calculating
The history of the true aboriginer of
this ending over = large
srca-Are ia IA excellent state Of prc-
seTvatfon. ard si-ouud in implements
and pottery. will receive hereafter the
a4Ost careful study. l