The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-27

Froz the ssr Frsrclsoo CaFcaiei.-
Not since the Robinson expedition or
the interest OF the American Museum o
Natural History. Ia New York city, u
1854. has there been such succes5lo
exploration and systematic scientific dls
Coyery along thc wonderful CHI dHeii
ii.gs OF Northern Arizona az that now Dc
ing prosecuted these days BY party o.
eleven scientists IN this region, 1h'
party has been engaged IN the valleys o.
the Rio Colorado ChiquitO. in northern
Apache County and IN the valley OF TN
Rio Verde. in Yavapai County. since las
June. and so absorbed have the explorers
become 81 their fascinating work tha'
they may rot desist until az least neX'
November. There's nothing in the realm
OF prehistoric research and exploration,
Eaid one Of the eXpeditiOnists 10 the wri'
ter, "that compares with the satisfdcticI
and interest there IS IN studying these an
Client clin dwellings and OF getting facts
concerning the extraordinary people who
lived here ages before the Biblical patri-
archs we're born"
Dr. Edward A Fulner. for years con-
nected with the museum at Harvard Uni
Versity, and Prof. VI. r. Snow, who was
associated with Nat. Powell In two arch
geological surveys in the Southwest, are
al the head Of this expedition. The pat
rOns OF the expedition are not known by
The explorers, neither can any infOrma-
ton be gained concerning the museum or
The educational institution that is to get
This finest and Completest collection OF
prehistoric relics gathered from among
the Cliff dwellings I'm fifteen or sixteen
years. But the opinion generally obtains
IN Northern Arizona that the Field Co
lumbar Museum al Chicago is 20 be the
beneficiary Of the barrels, boxes. and
chests full Of aboriginal articles Of war
fare, household utensils bits of pottery,
basket work. crude iewelry human
skulls, carved wood. baby playthings
u:ns. and mUmmies collected by this ex-
I4dItiOn.
The explorations have so far been con-
fned 10 COcOninO. Apache and Yavapai
counties, in the localities within thirty
five miles north and south Of the Atchi-
son, Topeka, and Santa Fe route. and DR..
Fulmer says that this region is the rich
est for original research into American
Not only is the climate here
well nigh perfect for exploration during
nine months out OF every twelve, but the
scenery Is grand and sublime the facilities
for exploration are good, and feathered
and furry game are marvelOusly abund-
ant. This party OF scientists has by its
discoveries added much 10 the sum
Of knowledge concerning the cliff dwell
ers-how they lived, how the aborigines
gained their livelihood, how they looked.
dressed. and especially what ideas their
lea. 80. IFah L
called, meant 10 convey. The explorers
have found a dozen cliff dwellings in a
wonderful state OF preservation. that had
never before been looked upon
by white men, and they gathered many
articles OF dress, worship, and household
use that have not been found by previous
seekers OF scientific information among
these marvellous relics Of the most mys-
teriOus and interesting aborigines OF this
continent There can be no doubt that
these explorers have opened a field IN the
Rio Colorado ChiquitO at least, which OF
fsrs the most fruitful possibilities now
known i'm the United States for archaeo-
logical research along new lines and IN
paths comparatively untrodden by other
explorers.
In a Nameless Canyon.
For three months last fall the little eX-
pedition was at work in the region of Hol
brook station on the Santa Fe route.
Among a little spur of mountains known
as the nchOs-thirty-seven miles south
from Holbrook-the explorers were led by
a Navajo scout 10 a namelcss canyon, and
there they found some remarkable relics
of the prehistoric diff dwellers. With the
exception Of a stray cowboy once in
few years, no white man has been in the
canyon for a generation, and everything
there had lain practically undisturbed
through ages As a place OF refuge in pre-
historic days the canyon was ideal. a
little band of aborigines in their eyrie-
like stone houses, perched away on the
ledge of granite about l,eoo feet above the
floor of the canyon. might have indeh-
nitely withstoOd attacks by A whole tribe
OF their contemporaries. Half way up the
canyon a yawning cave IVES found, and
in IL were twenty-five cliff dwellings.
From the tiny canyon stream below the
houses looked like dove Cotes Clinging to
the rocky ledge as If glued there. Fer
several days the explorers sought every
way possible TO reach these cliit dwell
ings. No passage way there was found,
and exploration there seemed almost
hopeless Finally they travelled fifteen
miles. made a wide detour, and 80 got to
the upHer edge OF the canyon wall. There
they had the sturdy vaqueros let each of
them down by ropes upon the ledge where
the cliff dwellings stood. II was a haZar-
dous thing, and IL took some nerve and
for exploration - he dansled
at the end Of a rope over preciplce LODI
feet high and then lowered 10 the ledge,
thirty feet below, but the eXpeditiOniSts
knew the risk Of life ana discomfort would
he repaid by priceless nnds IN elm
dwelling community that had not been en-
tered since the dwellers there disappeared
centuries ago-Very likely before lhe
Christian era began.
The cameras. exploring tools and food
ana water were let down 20 the eNpeoi-
tlenists, and exploration began there with
taking OF over seventy-fiVe pictures. FROM
he ledge in the cavern where the prehiS-
roric little stone houses were built an I'M
pbstTucted view of the canyon from END
TO end may be had. Then II was found
that ages OF growth Of cedar and oak
rhaparrzl had covered the secret passage
way by which the aborisines came ana
went IN their daily pursuits. There were
we twisting stairs or climbing paths. each
NO feet wide, carved among the granite
rllffs In some places only one person
could pass at a time, and band OF few
men with bowlsers, stones, arrows AMI
hot water az the cave IN the Gilt could
"a siiy repel an invasion by hundreds or
men having none OF the modern weapons
" warfare and not using gunpOwder.
GINS and peaks OF pink. Vermilion,
brown, white and yellow, rising in ledses
and breaking into tier above tier. story
above story. with intervening slopes COW
ared with talus; the walls recessed with
arge smphltheaterS. buttrrssed with huge
spurs and decorated with towers and pin
nacles. form the sides OF the canyon, and
make Il one OF the srandcst bits OF seen
Ply Of the Arizona canyon district. Amid
such scenery. with snow-capped peaks
4 bove them and rank Verdurc at their feet.
the expedition spent two months. The
farms that these strange prehistoric peo-
Die TILED for q livelihood we're searched
5ut. the quarry from which they got their
building stone was found. and then a Ions
and careful exploration OF the interior of
he homes was begun.
llh-dusIisrS' Stsreheuses.
The most remarkable find in the build
nss was ia what Was, no doubt. the Gin
lwellers storehouse, or a sort OF armory
5r council chamber The entrance 10 this
was narrow, bat The interior was large
IIeaped on the noOr OF this cave were ls7
lows and arrows Many OF the bows
were decorated with lizards and snakes
painted in bright cOlors that seemed 10
nave kept all OF their original freshness.
There we're also stone axes and hammers
baskets, Gud Z variety OF ornaments OF
.hell and stone. The articles in the cave
eefned 10 have been thrown in there IN