Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1896-07-08
PICTURE roS&S
On. sf the cario~itiss rf Colorado caayus
 Ia Ar.EsaA-

PICTURE EOSSS On. of the Cariositiss cf Colorado canyaa
 Ia Ar.Esa--
 The Navajo mountain, tho iutting buttes that lne the verge of the Grand canyon Of the Colorado m Ar ixona and the straight walls of the canyon proper arc Gn points of won derful interest, for they are the can- vas upon which arc depicted some of tho most strange and beautiful uictographs that have ever been dis covered in this country. Nearly every bowlder Is a picture gallery, and nearly every smooth surface Is covered with weird and fantastic figures. On Navajo mountain these continue to tho summit, and as the crowning piece 8 huge block of sand stone stands on the top the four sides presenting smooth surfaces These faces arc more than 100 feet square. and on each face Is picture of tho sun, with the figure of seven warriors bowed, as to the earth, ID uraver. Beneath tho warriors are many hieroglyphic characters, prob ably a prayer to tho sun god.
 On a bowlder by the verge of the oanvon Is tho picture of a woman knealing in prayer to tho sun On one of the canyon walls, moro than 100 feet from anything that could have furnished the barbaric artist a foot or hand hold, there is a weird panoramio view in three scenes Un- der a tree a child Is sleeping, while the other has fallen oarelessly by its side A few feet from the sleeping babe large snake, evidently a rat tlesuake. is ooiled to strike. Down the canyon toward the west Is scene 2 The snake is crawling away, and the limbs of the child arc drawn as though in the last oonvulsions or death. The snake has done its dead ly work.
 Still farther down the canyon scene 8 4 warrior, evidently the father of the child, with one arm clasps the dead babe. With the other hand he holds 0 club. Upon his face | the rude artist has depicted a look of mortal anguish and hate. A snake lies dead at his feet. This is proba- bly the most beautiful picture ever executed by savage hands On one of the canyons walls a 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 a bear followed by two cubs-the dog, the mountain lion and the catamount are found.
 Many of these are evidently of re- cent date and have probably been executed by the Navajoes, but here and there one meets with dim pic tograph that bears evidence of great age. On one wall in an apparently inaccessible place there is a picture undoubtedly intended to represent the mastodon. The trunk, the tusks, the massive body, all are there; ard the long, shaggy hair tells of another than the modern elephant Close by these is a representation of a camel The conception of the mastOdon may hsve been obtained from the great north. but wbcncs that of the camel'
 It is we'll known that the camel l: an oriental beast and found in Amer ica only in the menagerie, with on' noteworthy exception. A few year since the United States government imported a few of these ships of thu desert to be used as a means O transportation in southern Arison' and the California desert but th' scheme proved impracticable ana today these camels are roaming a large. The Navajo Indians ma. have had an opportunity to sec th' camel, but these photographs arc no Navajo work. They were undoubt edly placed there by another people This is one of the many puEzlirl questions concerning this people whom for sake of oonvenience VI call AztecS Could 1t be possible tha they were of eastern origlnI-Den
 yer Field and Farm