The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-10-02
"A CURIOUS CAVE.
Remarkable Discovery in q Cliff House in
Arlzona-Relics OF Prehistoric Race.
Chicago Times Letter.

A cave containing some interesting In
dian relics has recently been discovered
in the Burro mountains, about twenty
five miles southwest from Silver City,
Arizona. A ranchman, Mr.. Metcalf,
with his two sons, was out in the Noun
tains q few miles distant from the ranch,
prospecting for mines. In their wan
derings one day they found the trail of q
large bear. Following this for some time
through q canon, it at last led up the
steep confines, which required no little
exertion and perseverance to climb, the
wall being about seventy.five feet in
height and very rugged. Near the top
they saw something that looked like a
large black spot upon the red rock,
which rose at this point like the facade
of great cathedral. Upon nearer eS.
animation this apparent blemish proved
to be a natural cave, sixty feet in length,
thirty in width and about twelve or fif-
teen feet in height. The entrance was
comparatively large admitting the air
light. Part of the cave near the door
had been partitioned off and been occu-
pied at one time as cliff dwelling.
Entering the cave, one of the young
men began poking in the deep dust that
had accumulated upon the floor OF the
cavern with stick he carried in. his
hand. This coming in contact with
something plant, his curiosity became
excited, and he hastily removed the mats
of woven or plated reeds or cane eig IL
teen inches in length and oblong in
shane. also some curious sandals. In
spired by this discovery, the party re-
turned for their picks and shovels, and
began work removing the deposit of the
fine dust, interspersed with layers OF
rock that had Clipped off in succeeding
years from the roof of the cave. Having
excavated to the depth of five or six feet,
they found many mats like those de-
cribed, some in perfect state of per-
servation, most of them unornamented
while others were decorated with large
turquoises, one large stone in the center
of the mat and one on each corner.
They were also embellished With strings
of small sea-shells and beads of uniform
size, cylindrical, and of delicate pink
tint, evidently sections of some bone.
Beside these were tiny baskets made from
the same pliable reeds or cane, which
were six inches high and had covers
attached, and were filed with corn and
beans. They found also many bows and
arrows, supposed to have been placed IN
the as offerings to little children there
inferred. The strings of the bows were
made from twisted fbres of the maguey
or some other plant of that species SO
common in this country, and still as
strong and perfect as when first attached
to that war.like implement. The arrows
were not placed in quivers, but bundle
was tied to each bow by twisted cord
of colored material, resembling cotton
in texture, but which burns like wool.
Large hanks of this material, carefully
tied together, were found among other
relics. There were likewise bundles of
reeds of equal length, tied together.
Where some of the reeds had been shorter
than the others they had been carefully
and deity spliced.
Among the most curious things found
were sandals, which are totally unlike
ANYTHING heretofore seen among the In
dians, or among any relics of the aborigi-
mes. They were made from the plated
leaves of the maguey, or Spanish bayo-
net, fastened across the foot by strings
manufactured from the fbres of the same
plant. Upon some of them the impress
of the heel and ball of the foot Is still
plainly discernible. Their feet were re-
markably small in their proportions.
Several wooden idols, grotesqueley pain
ted, were unearthed, the largest being
about three feet in height, with q halo
around its head, painted in red, green
and yellow. The same figure had o rude
attempt at wings, which were painted
like the halo. A sheperd's crook was also
discovered, crudely carved and illumina-
ted. All of the cutting and carving
done upon these relics was undoubtedly
accomplished by the use of stone imple-
ments. There were innumerable pieces
of stone pottery, all cut or carefully chip
ped into circles FIVE or six inches In diane
ter. The only specimen of pottery found
entire was an ola, orjar, almost filled with
human teeth, and containing one-half Of
jaw-bone, the large, perfect teeth still!
in their sockets. Underneath all OF
these relics, almost six feet below the
present floor or level of the cave, was a
line of cremated bone-dust from eight to
ten inches in depth, together with frag-
ments of human bones, which soon crum-
bled when exposed to the air. The bone
dust was a gravish- white color, with here
and there very dark spots. The most
important of these curiosities were
taken by Mr.. Metcalf to his ranch, and
were seen there by Lieut.. Gatewood, Of
the Sixth cavalry, then in the mountains
commanding scouting party of Apache
Indians.
The Indians examined the relics mi
nutely and with much curiosity, never
having seen anything resembling the
sandals and some of the other relics, but
expressed some fear and little indigna-
tion that the place of burial should have
been desecrated, saying that the relics
belonged to and "came from Gods
house." The "medicine-man" among the
Indians asked permission to exhibit the
collection of curiosities to his comrades,
and when the Indians had assembled the
relics were all placed in some symbolical
figure upon the ground, the large idol, of
course, holding the place of honor, while
Wltn Solemn uduCe auu siom, lnoHoIohouo
chant the Indians formed in circle
around them. The medicine man then
sprinkled the relics with black and
yellow powder, and finally returned
them to their present owner. While
this ceremony wa5 being enacted some
Of the spectators were inclined to laugh h
and deride the performance, at which
the Indians were much offended. Lieut..
Gatewood and Acting Assistant Surgeon
Mcpherson visited the cave, and there
obtained some of the relics. The In
dians, with one exception, would not
venture near the spot, and the only one
irreverent enough to approach it could
not be induce to intrude within its sa-
cred limits.
The excavation at that time had been
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