The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-02
THE ENCHANTED MESA.
Traces of Hsbltation Found on the
Top Of katz mo.

Traces Of Hs bltatton Found on the
Top Of katz mo.
Mr.. II. w. Hodge OF the Ethno.oaical
Bureau, writes for the May number of che
Century an account of his Assent OF the
Encrantsd Mesa. made last September,
Mr.. Ht dge says:
Ihs rocky floor OF the mesa-top had
teen swept ard carved and swept again
by the storm Gen ons OF centuries sine
the "ancients" of the fieeting forms We
saw on the roofs la the mtouiight OF the
night tefora Fad descence1 she ladder
trail In the curly morn OF that fated Gay
Although the aft rncon was still young
at onoe saw that tte r. manning hours Of
daylight would not suffice for thorough
examination of the summit Directing
the two Lagunas below to gather together
our blankets. and 81 fficient supply OF
provisions for couple cf meals, recon-
noissance was begun, and ip q few mo-
ments q frsgIreut OF ereAtiy weather
worn ancient pottery was picked up.
Tho storm Of the ureviol day, which
drove the Indians form thslr religious
ceremonies, ard gave firth 10 the glitter
ing little Tools In the vfrdant valley BE-
low, afforded facilities for observation on
havs teen possible. Here and there In the
rocky floor ''pot Roles" had been erode1
by wind and rain. AMI were now hllcd
with water; but now here elsj on the err
tire summit und the rain found Iesti' r
plaza. Over the tIiUk IL had poured N
scores Of catsracts, carrying with IL stones
and such earth MS 1t managed to gather
from the scanty store yet remaiS1ng.
Iho mesa top was once covered with q
fairly rich vegetation. pinoDs and cedars
pr dominating; but most OF these now
sts nj gaunt aud tnre, or lie prone and
decayinR on tire bleak surface, their
means OF Subsistence having teen long
mrs cfo
END the others must inevitably perish.
But the examination of the surface OF
katzimo was not esse sential to determin-
alton Of the fact that 1t was formerly
mantled " with q thick stratum OF eartn;
the talus had already told the story that
on tt 9 very site Of their village the inhab
itsnts Of katZimo had an abundance OF
material With which to make the balls OF
adobe mui described by one CT the Span
ish chronic lers OF the sixteenth century.
Ire last remnants Of their housas, togeth-
er with the fragments OF their nousehoid
utensils, save such as we found. passed
over the brink generations ago. but one
nay still find an abundance OF the latter
scattered through the detritus which In
places is piled half way up the mesa
sides.
We built huge fire around one of the
Rauut specNrs that stood about us with
outstrt tched arms; soon there was .
', n
reached Us from the two Lagunas below.
The next morning. while aiding Major
Pradt IN making survey OF the mesa.
tor, was not little surprised to bnd
IT, rec Acoma Indians among US. They
were BY TO means friendly at first, for,
tavirg seen uur fre the night before. they
he'd coMe 10 the top by means OF our lad
ders to learn the cause of this unusual
burst OF fume from their ancestral homo
TO- and 20 oust the intruders from the
h. tQht. The leader, VINO was tho war
chief CT the tribe, ard q medicine IN IN.
asked our business. We told him. The
natives tecamo Interested, and said that
the people had feared We were after their
land. Being assured we had no desire TO
make our future home on taeir dry sand
dunes or drier mesas, but that we were
mere ~ looking for pottery Fragments the
chief expressed serious doubt that eny
relics could bs found, inasmuch as many
ages had passed since his people lived oil
the great table, and he believed all cyl
uencss OF former occupancy had been
swept or was he'd away. The interest OF
the three Indians Was quite apparent
when showed them the fragment Of
pottery picked up by hajcr Pradt the
evening tefore, and they man ifested no
unwilling ness to search for other potsherds
when I made the suggestion. Tney
were engaged In this quest only short
while when they returned with ssvsral
fragments OF extremely ancient sreatly
worn earthenware, q large proJectile'
point q portion of q shell brat elet, and
d trts OF two groovsd stone axes.all iiohen-
lice ked with sRe. and still moist fr. IN con-
tact with the ground Thorouahly salts
fed with the outcome, decided To bring
the work to close as soon as the survey,
the Photographic work and the exsminn-
tion Of the general features OF the mesas
summit were concluded.