Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-08

had succumbed at last TO their fearful
fate and persisted from hunger and thirst.
Then the sorrowinx Acomas gathered
together their scanty effects, and. carry
ing their wounded on crude filters woven
from the spincs of the amoie plant. wan
dered away into the desert in search OF
n new home.
They founded their second village two
miles distant, on top OF a mesa rock al
most the counterpart OF their previous
home. though not so high by, perhaps,
80 feet. and there they built OF stone and
mud and hewn timbers. transported on
their backs up n rocky declivity nearly
coo feet high. their village as II stands
to-day. an impregnabe fortress In time
OF danger. the wonder and admiration OF
hundreds OF American tourists who visit
the place, particularly in September,
when their feasts are in progress.
In the calamity which befell the "en-
chanted mesa" II Ia said 300 souls per-
ishoi In the revolt OF 1850 against
Spanish rule. the Spanish Catholic mis-
sionary stationed on the enchanted
mesa" with the Acomas was the only
priest who escaped the wrath of the Pue-
bio Indians and was not killed. When
the Spanards besieged the base OF the
rock the Indian women sacked the village
church and were on the verge OF stoning
the friar to death, but he made his es-
cape and jumped from the top of the
mesa. landing uninjured 700 feet below.
That he made the leap in safety is as
cribed to the fact that his outer garment
was a large saraphe-a heavy blanket
having an opening In its centre. which
fits over the head and brings the blanket
down over the shoulders-which in his
flight downward served the purpose OF a
parachute. This priest was afterward
captured by the Acoma warriors. who,
after council of war, decided that he
must surely be either saint or devil 70
have successfully made so miraculous
a leap, and upon his consenting to re-
nounce his religion he was taken to their
home and became one OF them. Suisse
quently he married one OF the bellies Of
the village. and his descendants are to-
day among the sturdiest sons and daugh-
ters Of the pueblo of Acoma.
That Professor Libby. should he carry
out his expressed intention Of scaling
the walls Of Mesa Enchantada." and
reaching the tableland will find in the
ruins there n rich and valuable assort-
ment of prehistoric treasures is scarcely
to be questioned. About the base of the
rock'are to be found at this date many
fragments OF beautiful pottery, the rich
coloring of which centuries of exposure
to the elements has not effaced and since
the Acomas nave always been noted for
the superiority of their earthenware. as
well as their expertness in the produc-
ton Of gold and silver ornaments. jewelry,
SC. no doubt the explorers will he abun-
dainty rewarded for their undertaking.
Professor Libby's plan for throwing
line over this tableland by the use Of
tandem kites is believed to be perfectly
feasible. since "A strong southwest breeze
usually prevails in that locality in July.
In making the ascent 1t is probable that
the explorers will not be required to scale
the rocks to the very top. but will find
their task one Of comparative ease after
going aloft 300 feet TO the opening in the
side of the cliff.