The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-12-05

VI IL.
wenty .horse.w,wer one at saving Woo.
i, has mol bcsA decided" MI. keeiy sald,
:. whether yubl,c exhibition Of the ma
chine will I've gwen"
-.-~-.~---HD>-~------
F~rgosten Cistes-
INTERESTING DISCOVERIES ~ TIE couNrNY
TRAvERsEp NY THE RIO SEASDE-Ahoebs
HEwx OUT OF TUE SOLID ROCK.
TChicsgo TimesJ
The last Congress appropriated sum Oh
moncv to be expended In alc' aoiogicn 'e.
searches among the ancient suoisn runs I"
the Southwest. The work was 10 De ptose-
cusd under the auspices of toe smitnscu's"
Anstttuiion. and under the tSnmeuia'e ,u'so'
lion OF Professor j. w. Powell, IN cnasse
OF ehc Bureau OF Etbnology. Last ycse
this 9,nd OF exploration was prosecu'eo W
the nor,hwest portion OF &ew Mexico avn
contiguous parts OF Arizona, among VIC
Zuui, Moqui, and Nayaeo INDIANS. Larse
collections OF pottery, stone, bone, ana woou,
en- supplements, as well as an art'c'es o, 'o ,s
and clothing illustrative Of the daily lie
and pursuits Of the native tribes, were
gathered and forwarded TO the Smithsonian
During the present season
these researches and inquiries have been
carried on chiefly along the Rio Grande
river and its tributaries. III Is on TINS
stream and lis tributaries that the greater
number OF the curious Indians known as
Puebies have their dwelliDg-place.
Mr.. sAsEs STEVENSON,
who had charge OF the party, and who has
had ,arge experience In scientific eXpiora-
tion IN the Rocky Mountains, arrived here
ON Saturday evening, and was d" at home "
TO the ISs,leS scientist on yesterday. Mr.
stevenson stated that the party started for
,tiDe field the latter part OF August. lie was
laecompanied by Mr.. ). H., Killers rs photo
crapber, mir. +. &. Galbraith, etli2ologlst.
and Mr.. +. w. Morancy. The party visited
all the different tribes from Taos. IN North
ein New Mexico, 10 Isieta south, on the
ki0 GraBde.
A iaree collection was secured, in which
are comprised stone weapons, such as spear
heaus. knives, bat3hets. arrow-heads, sttn1g-
shots, daggers. etc. and also many stone
utensils Of husbaDdry, such as stone sosp'
bowls, ladies, avis. serapers, gouges, pes
Ties ard mOrtars, ba6ing.stones, grinders
and the like. implements OF wooden stfuc-
lure and designed for domestic uses were
secured, Including piows, which are very
curious, being constructed entirely OF
wood, except 10 rare instances, where an
iron or rude stone point Is attached by
being tied TO The joint OF the beam with
rawhidc The beam Of The pillow consists OF
pole about six inches in diameter ana
twenty feet long. the handle-fhere beng
bat one--staDding upright at an angle OF
forty-dye degrees, leaning toward
THE PLOwMAN,
with a curved tip. The p0wshare is
piece OF wood about four feet long. and lies
horizontal. into which the handle aud pole,
or tongue. is fastened. Wooden shoyels.
rnrn-planterS, spoons, etc, were collected.
Mir. Stevenson stated that after visiting
90 northern tribes, The party descended the
10 Grande 10 the Puebla Of Santa Clara.
This Indian town is situated on the west
bank OF the Rio Graude, about fifteen miles
above The lower canon OF lint stream.
White they were at work in the vicinity OF
Santa Clara they were informed by the In
dans that not far TO the westward were
many very old cities that bad been occupied
by people much like themselves, but who
were now all gone. and Of whom the Oldest
Of the living tribes kew nothing.
A small party, said Mr.. Stevenson, in
company with the old chief OF Santa Clara,
made trip 10 The locality indicated. On
arriving at the foot OF the mesa, or high
tableiand. row after row Of square holes In
the blGf coulG be seen, each one OF which,
upon close inspection, proved to be the
door or entrance to a house, which had
been chiselled out OF The face Of the solid
stone wall with stone ha.ches or gOugeS.
These houses stand in tiers, one above an
ether, slenS he face q ever, mesa. Rude
carvings Of animals, the sun. and other o.
Ieeis. Me;e found here and there on the
smooth face of the rock. In many OF these
cliff. houses the ends Of poles were found
still remaining stuck in the holes in the
stony sides of the rooms.
THE HOUSES
are generally Of oval shape. and in each
can be seen little square reces>es and oval
cavities, which were no doubt used by the
occupants as cupboards and places in which
were stored little household wares and
trinkes.
These curious stone dwellings, continued
Mr.. Stevenson, occupy an area twenty niles
in length by from three TO five miles 10
width, and tue entire area could be dis
tinctly seen from an elevated lookout. The
doors. when from a distance looked like
black spots on The front of the white walls,
could be counted by the thousands. On
the SUBMITS OF some OF the larger mesas.
and generally above the clltl houses, arc eX'
teusiye ruins, constructed OF square bricks
abou, The size of adObes-being about TWEEN
" inches long and ten inches wide; and
these, too, were manufactured with stone
implements. These old runs on the mesas
had their courts or pl1Zas, estafas or places
OF worship, and other oulbuildiDgs.
Mr.. Stevenson and his party gathered
from tbe-ruins hundreds OF fragments OF
handsomely decorated patterns, differing
from any made in these days; also many
fragmentary and some still perfec, stone
gouges and scrapers. the former having. as
Mr.. Stevenson believes, been used 10 carve
ont their cave dwellings. The party saw
from one point many miles OF these
INTERESTING RUINS,
and were Informed by the Indian guides
tha; they extended a great distance beyond
tlte mountains. Photographs were takeo OF
MANY Of the most striking and instructive
portions OF the ruins. Large views were
also taken OF the present Pueblos, begin
ming with Taos and including all the Indian
tribes along the Rio Grande and the RI
JerOez us far south as Iseta.
These Photographic illustrations, as WI II
as the objects In the collections, will be
utilized by Professor Powell to elucidate the
work OF North American ethpoIoey, con-
&C; ming which he has already given more
Information TO the world than any other
scientist. The material thus obtained, as
| we'll as the information derived from study
OF IT., both i'll the Office and in the field, will
be transmitted TO the country through the
reports published by Congress The stu.
dents Of science are deeply Interested In the
results OF these explorations, and the work
will probably be continued under the
ausptces of the Government.