The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1884-12-05
A CITY ~ THE AIR.
The Wonderful PGeo.o or Ancient
keDm2.

AeDma.
The pueblo Of Asoma, situated ninety
miles west of Albuquerque, says SAINTS
Fe ~. N correspondent, is one OF the
most rem .rkable communities in New
Mexico or tie Uaited states. Toreacb
it. take the Atlantic and Pacific Rail.
roal to McC4ftay Station. and then
transfer to an Inilan pony aud ride
eighteen miles south by east. When
near your journeys end you dosccad
almost imperceptibly into the valley elk
miles in width. in the middle OF waich
stands butte, and on the top of thi, Is
Acoma. Eight hundred people ere lv.
ing there. aud thev and their ancestors
have gathered there ths sum Of their
possessions for nearly three centuries.
This butte is one OF the many that a'e
the remnant; OF mesa that has been
worn away by tie erosion OF the ages,
ard survives only in fiat topped nount-
ains here and there. fhe valleys be-
tween are fertile, and uHtold genera
tions OF men have seen them covered
with waviug grain and hJcks Of sheen
Some time in the Se' enteenth cen.
tury the Lsguoo, or valley, Indians
made war upon the Acomas for the pos
session OF the country. and the latter.
being tho weaker, occupied this butte
as defensive position believed to be
impregnable. Their judgment his been
sbapdautIy Indicated. 1t has proved Il
Gibraltar Of strength and safety. The
comparison is not inappropriate. and in
approaching it from the North was
struck with the resemblance to the pic
tures / have seen OF that grim
fortress that frowns over the straits to
the Mediterranean. The height above
the valley is nearly 400 feet and the
walls in several places nearly per-
pendicular. There are two means OF
ascent: one by fight Of steps cut into
the face OF the wall and rising at an
angle of As, and the other by fissure
in the rocks leading up into the heart
Of the mountain. Both ways have
been trodden by human fee. until the
steps are followed out like shallow
troughs. Either one is exceedingly
difficult. and neither is tolerably safe.
We chose the one along the 6ssure.
With all the danger aud fatigue. ID ia a
laughable sight to see . person make
the ascent. One has TO stride over the
fissure. one foot ON the right hand side
and the other on the left, aud at the
same time press the hands alternately
against the rocks for support. An
Indian will throw . live sheep around
his neck and 60 up quite rapidly With
out touching either hand to the rocks,
but am satisfied could never do it.
They told US of q pathetic incident
that occurred on the outer stairway
several years ago. A number OF men
started up, each with sheep on his
back. When nearly to the top, the
sheep carried by the foremost man be-
came restless. aud the shepherd. in try
ing to hold it fast, lost bis footing, and
10 falling swept his companions over
the precipice. and they all fell on the
rocks at the foot in lifeless heap The
Indians have carved representation of
the accident on o rock near where it
occurred, which scarcely serves to
steady the nerves OF those who 20 by
that route.
The top Of the elevation is level, ani
contains an area of sixty or seventy
acres, AT one side stands the pueblo
blunt pyramid of adobe and stone.
honeycomhed with rooms: at the other
side the church and graveyard aud
near the center is 4 pond Of pure water
thirty feet in depth and several rods in
extent. esl
, W