River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-08-18
CLIFF-DwELlERs.
Primitive Tribe That Makes Its Abode
In the Earth.

A deep ravine Gu ting in Mt right
angles to the Bacochie in chihuahua,
Mexicol closed our way to the north as
we assembled the winding trail, and
when we had worked our way mp the
steep bank some two or three hundred
feet. a favorable exit from the low,
scrubby pines gave me an opportunity
to look straight across this picturesque
ravine, and was surprised to see, on the
other bank, which seemed ever more
preeipitous than the one on which |
stood, deep cave walled up in front
nearly to the top, and evidently indi-
eating eave-or-cliff- My first
thought was that the curious habitation
in front of me belonged to the era of
similar buildings in Arizona and New
Mexico, which the best authority con-
signs to a very old period. With me,
how ever, was a Mexican gentle
lAan who said that the cave was
inhabited, but as the occupants
were extremely timid. probably
we would not be able to see them with
out forcing an entrance into their
strange home. He believed that most
of them were inside peeping at us over
the rude walls and around the very di-
lapidated animals hide that served to
close the door The cave was not over
two hundred yards away, and, with the
aid of our field-glasses, we could plainly
make ont its details.
My impressions led me to the theory
that these were vagabond individuals of
the local Indian tribes who were occu-
plying this old cave-dwelling in the
cliffs, much as we see the corresponding
class with us occasionally occupying
dugouts, shanties built into the side
hills, and even caves around the sub
urbs of towns. But one of the Mex
leans, who argued against forcible
intrusion into the homes of these
people, said that we would find great
number of them further on in the deep
recesses of the Sierra Madre range, and
that among so many we would have
good opportunities of seeing them to
better advantage than we possibly
could here My Mexican friend was
born and reared in this part of Chi
huahua: his father and uncle owned
one of the largest and richest mining
districts in that portion of the Sierra
Madre toward which our course was
directed. and to reach which he at
tach ed himself to our party for n couple
of days. when our paths separated.
His business called for almost constant
travelling in these parts. He placed
the number of living cliff and cave
jewellers in this part of Mexico at from
nine thousand to twelve thousand per-
sons. We afterward saw from three
hundred to five hundred of them, which,
considering their great timidity and
the small part of their land traversed
by us. would give an air of reasonable
ness to the estimate of Don Augustin
Becerra, for such was my friends name.
Even as we stood on the edge of the
cliff opposite this singular home, we
saw an Indian in the canyon far below.
He appeared to be wearing only
breech-clout of animal skins; he ear
ried long bow and arrows He looked
almost as dark as a Guinea negro as he
skirted the shadows of the canyon, and
his hair was long. A rafting of the
falling chips of shale drew his atten-
ton tn ms. when ne at once shullxed be-
hind a big bowlder at the base of the
cliff. and we saw him no more.-Fred-
erick Schwatka, III Century.