Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-02-04
Remarkable Discoveries by Prof. Hay
den In the Far West.

llSneu' Inc lOllOWlnB ls tne SuDSlbnCc Ol
his discoveries;
The Rio Dc Chelly, for a distance Of
about thirty-fve miles above its mouth, Is
so canoned-and the wash for the bed Of
the stream is perfectly dry the greater por-
tion of the year, cuts from wall rock to wall
rock so frcquently-that II Is impossible to
travel up it, except In the bed, and that is
so tortuous and rocky In places that it
would be difficult II not impossible. Making
dctour to the right the first opening into
the canon was reached ten miles above. In
here an interesting and extensive ruin was
found which was so well preserved that il
seemed to have been vacated less than a
score OF years, and so near like the work
manship and manner of building of the
present Moquis, that IL would not be diff
cult to imagine them lurking among the de-
serted rooms. This ruin was situated in n
long cave-like bench or mesa, running along
the face Of q perpendicular bluff, some fifty
feet above its base, and total length Of
nearly 300 yards. The town was irregularly
but compactly built, conforming to the rock
on which 1t was placed, the rooms arranged
in single row most Of the way, but at either
end bunching up to two or three deep. A
ground plan shows seventy-fve rooms with
many little irregular "cubby holcs," with
total length of 54S feet. A few yards fur
ther to the right are q half dozen buildings.
Cisterns and reservoirs yet remain perfect
enough to show their purpose. In the CEN
apartment little below the general level of
the others, that wGs probably an estufd. The
goat coTrals were inside, between the houses
and the bluff Digging beneath the debris,
several pieces of finely-preserved pottery
were found, the same finely ornamented, and
glazed ware of which the fragments are SO
universally scattered over the whole coun-
try. Beneath the center of the town there
was found in one group some whole jars of
about two gallons capacity each, of the gray
I'M tod l.NNNN
transport upon pack-mules. Besides the
pottery, many stone implements aud arrow
points were unearthcd. Another detour to
the right, this time over an elevated plateau
OF white sandstone, across which was dTdted
great dunes ofwhite sand, brought the party
to the famous so-called diamond fields of
Arizona, about which there was such an cx-
element In 1872. Lingering on its
baro rcd plain, upon which the sun
beat with redoubled intensity, only
long enough to gather about n pint of
garnets, which were of excellent quality and
very abundant, camp was made at the foot
of n side canon which came in-from the west,
and was known as the Canon BOnito Chi
quito. Another group of ruins occurred
here, not in large town but in scattered
houses up and down the De Chelly and
Bonito. A marked feature was great rescr-
voirs in which there was, even now, abund-
ant and excellent water. Two or three miles
below in the canon of the main stream was a
well-preserved two-story house, standing
upon bench elevated fifty feet above the
valley, and overhung by great roof of rock
that effectually shielded II from the storms.
Near by was great natural reservoir filled
with good water. Another five or six miles
and the canon of the De Chelly opened out
into great valley, from one to three miles
In width, and extending up to the foot of the
great canon near Fort Defiance. Twenty
five to thirty-fve miles above the Bonito are
some peculiar table rocks and monuments
that form notable landmarks. The ruins
are now scarce, only few being met with in
the caves at the side of the valley. The bot
tom lands bear the impress Of very numerous
ruins, adobe very likely, that are now almost
entirely obliterated, and would hardly be
noticed were it not for the broken pottery.
At the head of the valley of the De Chelly,
the trail turned off to the southwest just
above the upper edge of the great white
mesa. Taking only two others, Mr.. Barber
and Lee the guide, and sending the remain
der of the train back some fifty miles where
there was suitable grazing, Mr.. Jackson con-
tinued over to the Moquis PueblOs, seventy
five miles distant, with only the Photographic
apparatus and supplies for five days. Tequa
was reached by noon of the following day.
As these Pueblos have been so frequently
described and illustrated, the party spent
only two days and half among the six
most easterly towns, viz: Tequa, Se-chum-
e-way, Moqui, Moo-shar-nen, Shong,a-pabwe
and She-paw-a-we. Photographs of each of
these were made, and numerous sketches,
Illustrating their habits, dress and occupa-
tions, collections of recent and ancient pot
terry and tools, and other objects of interest,
were made. The comparison between the
workmanship of the northern town builders
and these Moquis was very much in favor of
the former. The highest perfection was
reached in the cliff houses Of the Rio Maucos,
where some of the houses were marvcls of
finish aud durability; and then, travelling
toward the Moquis, there is gradual mcrg-
ing of one style into the other, from the
neatly-cut rock and correct angle to. the
comparatively crude buildings now inhab-
tied.
Retracing their steps to the San Juan, at
the mouth of the De Chiefly, the party now
| travelled toward the Sierra Abajo, up a
stream known as EPSON Creek, from the
| water which is found at its head tasting and
operating like that of salt. The usual in
definite ruins which occur on low lands con-
| tinued up this valley over thirty miles.
| To the west was labyrinth of canons run
ming off into those of the Great Colorado, an
examination of some OF which discovered
many cave and cliff houses and towns, all of
| the same general type as the Others. The
ruins gradually diminished as they ap-
preached the Sierra Abajo, and several days
spent in the examination OF the canon and
plateaus about it and the Sierra la Sal failed
to bring to light any more evidence of their
| occupation.
Nearly opposite the Sierra Abajo or Blue
| Mountains, as they are locally known,
heads the great canons and valleys of the
MOntezuma, which empties into the San
Juan. Here the bottom Of the canons have
once supported a very thickly-settled com
| munity. There is almost continuous
series of ruins for a distance Of twenty-five
miles. This, in one canon only, and all
the others contain numerous remains. chiefly
in clitfhOuses and towns. In the main
canon first spoken Of are two ruins notable
N,r NI,ns pF In 1,afr
| construction. In one, built upon q small
isolated table land in the middle of the val
! ley, are stones set upon end, six feet in
length by eighteen inches square, and rang
ing along the walls distance Of twenty-five
| or thirty Yards. Another case is where
stones seven feet In heighth (abOye grOund)
and twenty inches square, are standing per-
pendicularly about five feet apart and form
one side of wall inclosing the ruins of a
| large, important building. Throughout the
canon every available defensive point has
been utilized and are now covered with the
remains of heavy walls and large blocks of
houses. Another singular feature was the
number of holes cut into the perpendicular
lower wall Of the canon for the purpose OF
ascending the rock, holes just large enough
to give a hand and foot-hold, and leading
either TO some walled-up cave or to build,
ing erected above. Some of these steps
assembled the nearly perpendicular face
OF the rock for $50 or 200 feet. On
! exposed sufIuCes, ulhlnlcSIaIlOu mas alinOhl
entirely weathered away the holes, while on
more protected surfaces they are deer
enough to still answer their original pur
pose. The main Western branch of the
Montezuma contains the greater number and
more important ruins of all the northern
tributaries OF the San Juan, west of the Rio
Maucos. Water was found in a few pools
near its head and lower down running along
in a small stream, distance of two or thrc,
miles, when it sank again. The bottoms are
rich, and the present Indians, Utes, who oc
cupY the countries, raise good crops of corn
without irrigation.
The result Of this trip was the collection
of large number of utensils, both moderT
and ancient, stone arrow and spear points
knives and axes, photographs, especially II
Illustrative Of the most important ruins, anG
numerous sketches Of everything of note
which will be brought out in detail in thu
regular publication Of the survey.
| A l., % |,