The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-02-06
-1IVCVICII llVAy ~ - = -
A GIGANTIC PEAK IN THE NEW
MEXICAN DESERT.
Inscribed With Names OF Spanish
Pathfinders and illusions to Their
Deeds-A Record Reaching,
Back to 1905.

lofty peaks, WIN 10Y ~ "A'Ao
cess that only creatures with wings
may surmount it, with appearance so
striking that it received character
istic nome almost three centuries ago,
when it first lay under the astonlshed
eaze of white man-El MORO.
While the poetic and impresslonable
Spnniards who braved the unknown
and opened the Southwest to clViliza-
ton saw the beauties OF the immense
pile, with its resemblance to the castles
Of the Old World, and gave it name
significant o. its appearance the latter
day American saw the writings left by
]ong-gone explorer, and dabbed IN
transcription Rock
When oll.time explorers penetrated
the unknown country north Of Mexico,
carrying tie faith" they passed up
the ancient pueblo Of Zuni, thence
eastward toward the Rio Granae River.
The natural highway, if it may be SO
called, led them directly under the
shadow Of towering wall, thousands
OF feet long and hundreds Of feet high.
This wall, when faced from the east,
presents the appearance Of a wedge of
rock, but when seen from the rear, it
is found to be al immense Y, the ap-
parently solid wall being split almost
to the end by deep canon which left
two immense cliffs OF rocks frownlng
at each other across the great chasm.
Where the two wallis joined, the cliff
shot up to a towering height in pin
nacle of rock which bears the most
striking resemblance to an immense
castle or fortress. 1t was this which
gave the name by which 1t was known
to the earliest exDlorer-El Moro.
But the present interest in this
structure does not center in the stu
penlous rock, nor in the marvellous
beauty OF the cliff which terminates it..
There is moro human interest in it,
more even than that which is aroused
by the ruins Of two great preblos
which look at each other across the
chasm which divides the ridges form.
lug the sides of the Y. At the foot Of
the castle there trickles out little
spring, the only water to be found in
long days ride. and this made it in
the past, rs it makes It now, the nat.
ural stopping place for MI travellers
who pass that way. History is meagre
in its details Of the conquest OF New
Mexico, but there are extant annals
which give to the searcher for light
many bits of information, that may be
patched together to make harmoni.
Gus whole, which tell Of the tortitude,
the trials, and the sutferings Of those
men who braved the dangers of an IN
known country and an unknown horde
Of savases to carry their faith to the
heather and to search for gold. These
early explorers made the base of E
Moro their resting place, AMI here
they left for those who followed after
81 record of their presence which has
endured until the present time.
The sandstone OF the cliff is very
fne and smooth, just such combina.
ton as would induce y casual passe1
to inscrihe his name thereon, and the
Spanish explorers utilized it rs &
registry OF their passage. 1t is an au
toyraph album 80 valuable that il
onsht 70 he the proud boast Of the
United States that it is within its pos
sessions. It is doubtful, however, i
tho authorities ut Washington ever
know OF the existence Of this remark
able record OF the early pioneers.
With their knives and probab],
their swords, the Spanish soldiers
carved their names and generally some
slight a!lusion to their mission npo1
tho smooth kuriace Of the wall, ant
the result is that to-day this surface
bears the autographs OF the men who
opened the way to civilization in tn
Southwest two centuries before othe,
white men from the East penetrated
into that wonderful land of canon an(
desert.
line oldest identified autograph, a!
wolf as the most important of all the
many noble names to be found writer
in the Spanish OF 500 years ago i
that OF the leader, Juan de Onate, tn
real founder OF New Mexico, tn
builder of the two oldest towns in tn
territory, San Gabriel and Santa Fe
and one of the brayest explorers tina
ever penetrated Al unknown countr,
with !. handful OF men. He it was tina
went on TINT marvellous Journey il
search Of the '*South Sea-" the Pacih
| Ocean, and it was. on his return from
that wonderful tramp with Thirty mel
through Il trackless wilderness an
desert that he encamped at the foot o
Eel Moro and left his modest lnscrip
tion upon that eternal page. Here
what be wrote:
| Paso por aani 81 alelantado don Jua d
Onate al descrbemcndto tie Ia mar del su
1. IL de Abril no 1905.
PASSED by hero the officer, Don Jua" d
Onate to tho discovery oi the SO, OF the sout
on the 10th OF April, year Of 1900.
The lettering is antique and nue.
abbrevieted, but it is clear, and hold
its appearance we'll after the rain an
| wind ,>f &hron non}1rinc