Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-10-18
san WAN'S WONDERS.
THE MARVELLOUS PREHISTORIC PIG
ruRE GALLERIES OF UTAH.

ruaE GALLERIES OF UTAH.
Navajo Ncuntain's Every Bewider snd
smooth Surface Covered with weird.
Fantastic and Touching Specimens q
Barbarie Art Of Long Ago.
Western newspaper correspondents have
for years at irregular intervals oiscourseu
AZ some length upon the wonders Of the Rio
San Juan, and in the casagory OF the mar
yelous this mountain tributary of the great
Colorado has taken its place by the side Of
the far famed and mysterious ella. The
cIiff ruins Of the San Juan valley have been
the center of attraction, have been viewed
from all sides. and their wonders have been
told and reto,d to the world time and time
again. Scientific men have visited thls re
rion. have penetrated southeastern Utah
and have considered this valley place OF
ESPECIAL interest because these cliff and cave
dwellings are probably the oldest IN TINS
strange country, being the first built in
that mysterious journey southward OF
great but unknown people. For % years
the prospector has followed this bold ilttie
river and gazed with careless unconcern on
the rough anu uEOAcA vans 81 ioAA "a AA~~~
est to the archeologist.
Whether this is region that will ever
show rich pay dirt" the writer knows not.
but he can say without hesitation that it
is one OF the most wildly picturesque and
beautiful regions in the world. The bleak
old Navajo mountain rises abruptly and
towers like a grim sentinel over the sur
rounding mesa, while in canyon gorge
. Ga halo &c has rho Rio
San Juan appears like silver thread.
The Navajo mountain, the jutting buttes
that line the canyons verge, the huge bowl
ders that are lodged on the canyons sides
and the straight walls of the canyon proper
are all points of wonderful interest, for
they are the canvas upon which are depicted
some Of the most strange and beautiful
photographs that have ever been discovered
in this country. Nearly every bowlder is a
picture gallery, and nearly every smooth
surface is covered with weird and fantastic
figures.
On the mountain these continue to the
summit, and as the browning piece ahtge
block OF sandstone stands on the top, the
four sides presenting smooth surfaces. These
faces are more than 100 feet square, and on
each face is picture of the sun, with the
figure Of seven warriors bowed, as to the
earth in prayer. Beneath the warriors are
many hieroglyphic characters, probably a
prayer to the sun god.
On a bowlder by the verge of canyon is
the picture of woman kneeling in prayer
TO the sun.
On one of the canyon walls, more than 100
feet from anything that could have fur
nished the barbaric artist foot or hand
hold, there is a weird panoramic view in
three scenes. Under tree child is
sleeping One little hand lies across its
breast, while the other has fallen care
lessly by its side A few feet from the
sleeping babe a large snake, evidently a
rattlesnake, is coiled to strike. Down the
CANYON toward the west is scene 2. The
snake is crawling away, and the limbs Of
the child are drawn as though in the last
commissions of death. The snake has done
its deadly work. Still further down the
CANYON is scene 3. A warrior, evidently the
father Of the child, with one arm clasps
the dead babe with the other hand he holds
q club Upon his face the rude artist has
depicted IA look of mortal anguish and
hate. A snake lies dead at his feet. This
is probably the most beautiful picture ever
executed by savage hands.
a maiden are represented, gayly tripping
along hand in hand, while two doves are
circling around their heads. Photographs
of the bear-in one place bear followed by
two cubs-tbe dog. the mountain lion and
the catamount are all to be found. Many
of these are evidently of recent date and
have nrobably been executed by the Nava-
ioes Int here and there one meets with "a
L lD.,, Il. ,.,s,
ACE
On one wall. in an apparently inaccessible
mace. there is a picture undoubtedly in
tended to represent the mastodon. The
trunk. the tusks. the massive body, are all
there. and the long, shaggy hair tells of an
other than the modern elephant Close by
these is a representation of camel The
conception of the mastodon may have been
obtained from the great north, but whence
that of the camels 1t is well known that
the camel is an oriental beast and found i'll
America only in the menagerie, with one
noteworthy exception.
A few wears since the United States gov
ernmen, imported a few of these ships of
ths desert to be used as a means of trans
portation in southern Arizona and the Cali
fornia desert, but the scheme proved i'm
practicable. and today these camels are
roaming at large. The Navajo Indians may
have had an opportunity to see the camel,
but these photographs are not Navai 10 work
They were undoubtedly placed there by an
other people This is one Of the many puz-
zling questions concerning this people,
whom for sake of convenience we call Az
tees. Could it be possible that they were
of eastern origin?
=, -, p;1,I;I -, 60, 49,,
ours On the verge of the CANYON. as an
r,noootoJ from, tho snu,h seven bovIders
Z, -. -,