The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-02-05
SAN JUAN'S WONDERS.
THE MARVELLOUS PREHISTORIC PIC
TURE GALLERIES OF UTAH.
Navajo Mountains Every BowIder and
smooth Surface Covered with Weird,
Fantastic and Touching Specimens Of
Barbaric Art of Long Ago.

f"h'hhtic ana touching specimens OF
Barbaric Art of Long Ago.
Western newspaper correspondents have
hr years at irregular intervals discoursed
y some length upon the wonders Of the Rio
Fan Juan, and in the category Of the mar
relous this mountain tributary Of the great
Colorado has taken its place by the side Of
the far famed and mysterious ella. The
lift 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 retold to the world time and time
again. Scientific men have visited this re-
gion, have penetrated southeastern Utah
and have considered this valley place of
especial interest because these cliff and cave
dwellings are probably the oldest in this
strange country, being the first built in
that mysterious journey southwark Of
great but unknown people. For 90 years
the prosrectOr has followed this bold little
river and gazed with careless unconcern on
the rough and broken walls so full of inter
est TO the archHologist.
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 grim sentinel over the sur
rounding mesa, while in n canyon gorge
more than 5000 feet below its base the Rio
San Juan appears like silver thread.
The Nava % 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 huge
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 tho
figure of seven warriors bowed, as to the
earth, in prayer. Beneath the warriors are
many hierog!yphic characters, probably a
prayer to the sun god.
On bowlder by the verge of a 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 n weird panoramic view in
three scenes. Under n 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 large snake, evidently
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
= club Upon his face the rude artist has
depicted look of mortal anguish and
hate A snaLe lies dead at his feet This
Is probably the most beautiful picture ever
executed by savage hands.
On one of tie canyons walls warrior and
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 n bear followed by
two cubs-the dog, the mountain lion and
the catamount are all to be found. Many
Of these are evidently Of recent date and
have probably been executed By the Nava-
Ioes, but here and there one meets with q
dim Photograph that bears evidence of great
age
On one wall in an apparently inaccessible
place, there is 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 IA representation of IA camel. The
conception Of the mastodon may have been
obtained from the great north, but whence
that of the cameli 1t is well known that
the camel is an oriental beast and found in
America only in the menagerie, with one
noteworthy exception.
A few years since the United States gov
eminent imported a few of these ships of
the desert to be used as a means of trans
portation in southern Arizona and the Cali
tornia 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 Naval work.
They were undoubtedly placed there by an
other people. This is one of the many puz.
cling questions concerning this people,
whom for sake OF convenience we call Az
tees. Could it be possible that they were
Of eastern originf
Another striking feature Of this rude
picture gallery is the number of times that
the mysterious Biblical number seven oc-
ours. On the verge of the canyon, as ap
preached from the south, seven powders
stand side by side. On the east end of each
bowlder are the pictures Of seven animals
while on the south side are hieroglyphic'
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