The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-21
THE SUN, SUNDAY, MAY, FL, 1899.

was iouno 10 contain dried corn In the gram
In another vessel there we're brown beans. ana
In stMl another vessel there we're wisps OF corn
leaves In q fine state OF preservation. present.
ing the appearance Of having been gathered
but the season before, so clear was the color OF
their half-ripened condition. These corn
leaves were used. as a number OF half-hnishod
specimens ttested. for the purpose OF making
sandals. the inner solos and Innings being
made OF plated leaves, while thicker and more
durable soles were woven OF the fibre OF the
thistle. Sandals and shoes complete. formed
so rs to come well up on the ankle. were also
found. together with cords and ropes deity
and closely plated and twisted from the nbres
OF plants similar to those mentioned. The
woven fabrics. however. were the subject OF
greater wonder. as IL seems almost incredible
that a people possessing so few and apparently
crude implements could have produced cloth
OF 40 fine u texture.
We got our best specimens OF prehistoric
clothes from two infant mummies. which were
discovered In a rear room OF the wonderful
stone building. This room. or rather vault.
had been completely sealed up by a wall OF
masonry. and was discovered by tapping on
the stones with a pick. When an opening had
been made in the vault and n light thrust in.
two bundles Of considerable size were OBJ
served. which. when brought out and unrolled.
were each found to contain the form OF a
child perfectly preserved. The outer covering
OF these forms consisted Of polished stats Of
wood. about q half inch in width. held together
by two strands OF cord twisted together, Next
came a wrapping Of coarse fabric. resembling
gunnycloth. then wrappings OF 1ner and finer
texture. and last, the feather cloth already
mentioned. save one folding. which much re-
sembled oiled silk.
I'm one OF tho large rooms at tho front OF the
marvellous building We found where a fire had
evidently burned on the granite floor for ages.
1t was probably a sacred fire. The stone walls
were black with smoke. In the same room We
came across a stone sphere. almost perfect.
1t was thirty inches in diameter and was
cut from basalt. We found Implements Of
bono. from needles to knives OF various
forms and shapes. walking sticks and
wooden Implements. fiattened and sharp
ened at one End. evidently for the pur-
pose OF digging In the earth curious mats
and wheels or pullcys formed OF fibre. solid and
compact. with grooves as II for ropes to pass
over them: fans and dust brooms Of turkey
wings and tails. and numberless other articles.
I'VE believe that the stone house was occu-
pied as a great communal home for many Gener-
atoms. perhaps ! 900 years. The deeply worn
stones that form the thresholds OF the doors.
the beaten path in the fiinty. rocky passage to
the cave from below. and the rough-hewn
household utensils. polished by constant use
through years and years. all tell Of the long
period that these buildings were occupied be-
fore the days Of Cortez and Montezuma."
In disposlnR of their dead the cliff dwellers
went to considerable trouble. First. the body
was wrapped in a feather robe. presumably the
garment worn in life. This consisted OF a foun-
dalton Of yucca fibre. in which were inserted
the tips OF turkey feathers until the robe ap-
peared to DO constructed of feathers alone.
Over the robe was wrapped a piece OF mating.
then came a layer Of cotton. and finally the
whole was wrapped about with reeds. sepul-
ture was of several kinds. A shallow hole in
the earth and a flooring Of stone; a hole in the
wall: q specially constructed tomb above
ground. and an entire room. with scaled doors
and windows. were the most common forms.
Beside tho dead were placed Jars Of corn and
water for rcfreshment on the unmapped and
shudowy journey. Corn OF extraordinary
hardness was their principal article Of
diet. Judging from the manner in which
the teeth Of all the adult mummies are worn
almost down to the gums. and turkeys. domes.
ticated in their houses. furnished the only
flesh food that can be traced. The mummies
that these explorers have gathered are all
goodly sized people. and one Of them is deco.
rated with reddish brown side whiskers that
are quite English in their training.
NOtnlnR more fascinating mas como into
the life Of any in our little party Of explorers"
said James T. Taft. in telling Of tho discover
les that the party has made. There can be
nothing moro Accordingly interesting to>an
American cthnologist or Archaeological than
seeking to break tho deep mystery that envel.
OPS tho cliff dwellers. What curious house
holds these cliff jewellers had in tiny stone
houses perched on the edge OF a ledge. in rocky
caves and inches in the cliffs. varying from
400 to 1900 feet above the beds Of canons
Fancy what muscular prodigles these peo-
pie must have been to have climbed
daily ND these rocks from their puny farms
Imagine the mother rearing her venture.
some and lively boys and girls In n community
that clinGs like swallows nests in q cavern
over ] 900 feet up n sheer wall OF rock. Picture
to yourself the c~litT-dweller mothers descend.
ing those sleeps from the eyrie-like homes &c
the canon stream below. with their infants on
their backs and then returning up Thousand:
OF stsps cut in tho rock with q burden not only
OF the baby. but a load OF stiuks for fuel ant
vessels OF water on her back. l have no doubt
that some cliff dwellings, in Utah and along the
Grand Canon OF the Colorado were made al
least 1000 years ago. But that is one of the
many interesting problems the young men o.
America have before Thorn for solution