, 1888-09-12
REcLAIMlNe THE DESERT.
Possibilities of Irrigation In the South
west-opening the Ancient Canals.

Possibilities of Irrigation In the South
west-openinG the Ancient Canals.
Though it has long been known that
the tribes of a~borigines who once existed
in the states and territories of the south
west had a system of agriculture which
permitted them to subsist in towns of
considerable size, we have not realized
until recently the extent of their re-
sources and the ability they displayed as
engineers. The Hemenway expedition
has examined ancient lines of canals in
southwestern Arizona in the valley of
the ella and its chief tributary the
Saloda, rivers which pour their waters
finally into the Gulf of California, like
their northerly neighbor. the Colorado.
Between the Salado and the ella, where
there is now only a growth of such
plants as endure a torrid climate,
without rain for the greater part of
the year, the ancient people had their
towns and cities. Some of the communal
houses were several hundred feet square
inc three or four stories high. One city
was traced for three or four miles, and
contained between forty and fifty of
these large structures, which were irreg-
ularly placed after the fashion of Indian
towns. Each large house is supposed by
Mr.. Cushing, the ethnologist of the party,
who has made the Pueblo Indians a life
long study, to nave held the members of
n clan. The walls were sometimes of
adobe bricks, and sometimes they were
strengthened with posts and wattles.
Each town has q separate larger ruin
surrounded by a strong wall SO as to
form a yard. Here Mr.. Cushing locates
the abode of the chief ruler or priest, the
stores of the town and the citadel in case
of an attack. 1t IS estimated that the
two valleys of the ella and Salado sup
ported at one period no less than 200, 900
souls.
This could only nave peer accom-
plished by irrigation. 1t appears that
the water from the Salado was run
across the fiat land between it and tbs
ella for a distance of from fifteen 10
twenty miles. The new settlers have
already begun to use the bitches con-
trived by the extinct population. The
canals were dug in terrace outline, filed
with brush and then burned out in order
to solidify the bottom and sides. ''Mr.
Cushing, says The American Natural
list, lis of the opinion that they used
RATS a of reeds for navigating these
canals, and this seems more probable
from the heavy materials hat nave been
brought from a distance. 1t seems GER
tain that they doated the pine timber
used in their building operations down
the Salt and ella rivers from the distant
mountains"
These people burned their lead as a
general rule, collecting the ashes into an
urn, which was commonly broken, in
sign of death; but the expedition found
SO many skeletons buried within the
larger buildings mentioned, just beneath
the floor, that it appears to AVE been
the custom to bury chiefs and priests.
a food vessel and highly decorated water
jar were buried with the corpse, and
sometimes arrow and spear heads. In
one grave a large tone knife and tur-
quois ornaments We're found. Tools and
weapons are generally of stone, and there
are a few copper ornaments, shell cary
ings, inlaA with turquois, and other
decorations common to semi-savage
tribes. The pottery is of many colors
and carries a fine glaze. They had
smelling furnaces in the mountains, and
appear to have stood upon much the
same plane of cultivation as those Zunis
to whom Mr.. Gushing is guide, philoso-
pher and friend.
The opening up of these old canals is
the first step to cause the deserts now
covered with mesquite to support a fair
population. With modern appliances it
is not impossible that the Colorado, rush
ing along the bottom of an enormous
cleft in the earth, down which Mai.
Powell made his venturesome trip years
ago, should spread its fertilizing waters
over portions of the Yuma and Mohave
deserts instead of losing them in III salt
waves of the Gulf. The climate is adj
verse to irrigation in some respects, be-
cause the more separate the streams
and rills the more you expose the water
body to surface evaporation. In lands
like Arizona and New Mexico the Persian
system of underground streams, broken
at intervals by wells, ought to be
tried. A system of covered canals
would be the best in a climate like
that of New Mexico, for the vapora
ton upward would be at a minimum.
Whether this country will ever be re-
claimed to do the work it can under a
thorough system of irrigation is a ques-
ton. Perhaps it were best left to indi-
vidual or municipal, to corporate or
state enterprise. National schemes of
the kind are too prolific of jobberySand
corruption. 1t is a matter, howeSer,
that will repay the study of those having
large amounts to invest for slow but sure
returns, dependent for success on the
financial prudence and sound engineer
ing which have caused Holland to be-
come the richest country of its size in the
world.-New York Times.