The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-09-23
An Indian Legend Verified.
Enchanted Mesa" of New Mexico Successfully
Scalad


WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. II, 1897.
One of the savants of the bureau of
ethnology of Smithsonian Institution, Mr..
+. W. Hodge, has just returned from an
expedition to the Enchanted Mesa" of
New Mexico, which has excited the in
terest of scientists and the daring of ex-
ploring parties. 1t was brought into
prominence few months ago by the eX-
pedition of Prof William Libbey Of Prince
ton University, who took rope throwing
mortars, huge kites, balloons and tons of
apparatus to scale this hitherto inacces-
Sible lakeland
The purpose of the Investigations has
been to determine whether the summit of
the mesa was at one time inhabited by
the prehistoric Acoma Indians. Prof.
Libbey reported no evidences of early oc-
cupancy.
Mr.. Hodges explorations have brought
good results. however, for after scaling
the mesa, he spent some time on the sum
nit, found number of fragments of pot
terry, arrows. shell bracelets, stone axes,
etc, establishing conclusively that the
top OF the mesa was at one time inhabited.
Mr. Hodge was sent by the bureau of
ethnology, and directed to proceed to the
Mesa Escanada and scale its precipitous
walls in any way he saw fit.
He procured an extension ladder, com
prsng six sections of six feet each, to-
gether with an ample supply of rope, and
proceeded to the mesa on Sept. Sd, ac-
companied by Maj. George H. Pradt,
deputy United States surveyor at Lagu-
ma. n. NJ. who is familiar with that sec
ton, Mr.. A. c. Vroman of Pasadena,
Cal, who acted as photographer of the
avno1itiar II of Cl,io1np
and two Laguna Indians.
The mesa was determined to be 431 feet
from the western plain to the top of the
highest pinnacle, and the talus at the base
of the cleft 224 feet above the plain. The
climb was without any serious difficulty
until the party reached a great cleft in the
sandstone. The ladders were hauled sec
ton by section to this point by means of
the ropes, then fitted together and raised
against the cleft. Mr.. Hodge assembled to
the top, and climbing over the top i'm
mediately above succeeded in flashing
the top of the ladder to huge bowl
der that had fallen from above and lodged
on the terrace some 20 feet from the sum
nit. The ladder was than assembled by
the remainder of the party, and the top
easily reached. The ascent took exactly
2 IA hours.
The explorers had not been on the sum
nit of mesa five minutes before Maj. Pradt
picked up fragment of ancient pottery,
which indicated clearly that the mesa had
been visited, at any rate, in former times,
and that Prof Libbey was mistaken in his
conclusions
During the afternoon and the next day
Mr.. Hodge examined the ground carefully,
while Maj. Pradt made a survey OF the
mesa and Mr.. Vroman secured a number
of photographs. Several potsheads, two
stone axes (broken), fragment of shell
bracelet and stone arrow point were the
chief evidences of former occupancy found
on the narrow, storm swept crest, but
abundant potsherds, etc, We're found III
the talus, swept down from the summit.
All vestiges of the ancient trail ascend
ing the talus and continuing thence to the
summit by hand and foot holds in the solid
rock have been obliterated, but some
traces of the holes remain.
This verification of an Indian tradition,
notable for inherent evidence of accuracy,
is peculiarly gratifying to students of an
thropology.
Prof Libbey's ladder was discovered,
still dashed in place above the crevasse.
Mr.. Hodge researches will arouse great
interest among American ethnolologists
and archaeologists, inasmuch as they are
said to show that Indian tradition should
not be dismissed as merely mythical after
only casual exploration.