New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-14
THE JEWELLERS IN CLIFFS,

EXPLORATIONS IN THE CANON DEL huEhiE-A
LARGE VILLAGE ONE THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE
sTREAM-woNDERFUL ARCHITECTURAL REMAINS
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuSE
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.-The archaeological ana
chronological explorations in the Southwestern ter
ritory of which THE TRIBUNE published an &C
count at the close of last seasons work have been
continued with success under the direction OF Pro-
lessor Powell during the season which has just
ended.
The wisdom Of Congress in making provision 1or
this work three or four years ago Is becoming
strikingly apparent as the railroads
extend their lines into this, the most interest
ing region to the archeologist within the borders
of the Republic. Private collectors and specimen
hunters are now overrunning the places which are
thus made accessible, and all that remains of scien-
tific interest which is movable becomes their spoil
The already abundant collection of specimens IN
possession of tho National Museum will become
priceless as the opportunity for their duplication
passes away.
Some criticism has been passed upon the policy of
addng TO the store of specimens material OF the
character of that already on hand but this policy
Is adopted in order to have the material Tor
exchange with other scientific institutions. After
filling its own reserve collection with the most per-
feet of the specimens the remaining stores will be
arrayed in sets complete or fractional to be given
10 the museums and educational institutions in this
country OF sent abroad to be exchanged for specl-
mems from other lands which are obtainable only In
exchange: as scientific institutions will not
usually dispose even of duplicates for
money. There yet remains, however, a great
field of exploration, which has not yet been
entered upon, and which is still too remote IRON
any of the present lines Of public travel to be IN
danger of early invasion by the tourist and anna
I'M. .I.ta q In xrnrH
of exploration may be inferred from the fact that
many of the ancient cliff villages by exploring
parties during the last three months were merely
sketched from distance They appeared to he in q
remarkable state of preservation, but were not
even visited. These villages, SO far as could
be learned from Indian guides, were never before
looked upon by the eye of civilized man. Ihey
were inaccessible by any means at the command
of the explorers who of will not rest satisfied
until In some future trip they have reached them
and carried away their treasures. The collections
made from New Mexico and Arizona already num-
Der somewhere between twenty-five and thirty
five thousand specimens of pottery, stone
iInplements weapons of war, articles of
husbandry, musical instruments and a thousand and
one things which appertain to and illustrate the
daily life of the people who made and used them
Two parties, especially charged with the branch Of
scientific work referred to. were sent into New
Mexico and Arizona last summer. One. in charge
of Nr Victor Mindelif went to the Moqui country
in northwestern Arizona to make surveys OF the
Indian villages and ruins to be found IN
the region known as the Province or
Tusayon Their work was confined chiefly TO the
seven inhabited pueblos, which are situated ON
lofty mesas, OF table lands Complete surveys in
minute detail were made of each village, from
which models will be constructed sufficiently largo
..+nr ,nol1
one large collections of household and other articles
were obtained. Mr. MIndelif is the gentleman who
last year made a survey of the Zun Village, from
which the frame model now on exhibition in the
National Museum was constructed.
TIE other party, under the direction of James
Stevenson, has recently returned. 1t took for its
field of exploration the cliff villages and ruins in
the Canon de Chiefly and It's branches. The main
canon has very rarely been visited by white men,
and its branches-some OF which ara equal
to it In extent in grandeur OF
scenery and scientific interest-have, 1t is
believed never before been explored. In fact, only
one of them was examined with any degree OF
thoroughness on this occasion. This branch canon
was named by the explorers the Canon del
Mperte from the fact that herein were found
skeletons of some of the ancient cave-dwellers,
probably the first which have been unearthed. \
series of water-color drawings was made by Al
q. Gnstin, the artist of the Stevenson
party illustrating the scenery and the relics of the
canon. They convey an idea which cannot be trans
lated into words of this remarkable place and Its
contents Tue PERCEPTIONS brck-red cliffs. thous-
and feet high, have been carved by the elements
into almoste conceivable shape while the strait
6oation-now regular and level and again dis
torted AZ if by an early convulsiOn-shows in gro
tesoue pictures upon the face of the rock
The nests mo other word is so expressive for
the purposel OF the old jewellers herein were built.
like those Of wasps, in crevices of the Gill; The
places selected were too shallow from front TO
rear to be properly termed caves They were prob
obv formed by the swirls and eddles Of the torrent
ages ago before 1t had cut its down to its present
bed. hundreds of feet below. The solid upper crust is
left intact and forms lofty. slopinG roof over a
whole village. What could have been the charac-
fer and habits of life of generations born and
brought up amid such surroundings, with sky OF
dull red rock overhead, with the outer world pos
sibly narrowed to the limits between the two walls
of the Canon and even that outer world inaccessible
except by perious feat of climbing
such as none but expert gymnasts of this day would
care to attempt; little world upon which the sun
could only shine during two or three hours Oh lts
daily round 1t is to answer these questions as well
.smay be that the explorers were sent out.
Colonel Stevenson was led TO the selection OF the
Canon del Muerte in preference to others
which brancbed off from the main canon,
mon either side by the of his chief
Indian guide, who said that ruins of more inter
esting character than elsewhere were to be found
there. The party entered the mouth of the canon
and went days journey along its bottom until
thew reached a place beyond which their wagons
could not 20, and here they established their camp
The walls of the canon were of nearly uniform
height about one thousand or twelve hundred feet
from top to base always perpendicular, except
where great piles of DEBRIS broken from the ciiiis'
had filed mp u portion OF the space below now
approaching each other. narrowing the canon 10
mere crevice in the earth less than hundred iee'
-, .o;., snraod;ny ont half n mile