Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-10-18
Ell MORO OR
INSCRIPTION ROCK
A Unique Natural and Historical Monu-
ment Situated Not Far From Zuni
in Western Valencia
County.
A NATIONAL PARK TO Be
ESTABLISHED TO PROTECT II

Not SO long ago the secretary Of the
interior withdrew from land entry a
small area, 35 miles east of Zuni,
western Valencia county, on which the
famous Inscription Rock is situated.
This uni ~, natural as we'll as historic
land mark is off the customary routes
of travel and therefore it's existence is
unknown even to many people of this
territory The following is a synopsis
Of a report made to the secretary of
the interior by Special Agent Holsin-
ger of the general land office, giving a
description of the rock:
El Moro, or Inscription Rock, as it is
locally and generally known, is situa-
ted in Valencia county, 35 miles east
| of Zuni pueblo, and so miles south of
| the Santa Fe-Pacific railroad.
This picturesque and interesting his
| torical cliff is located at the extreme
southern end of a lava-strewn desert
valley, the drainage of which forms a
tributary of the Zuni river basin. The
and high mesa lands in a southerly
and eastern direction from the ancient
and famed pueblo of Zuni once the
flower of the Seven Cities of Sibola'
dark line of the forest covered Zuni
mountain range: on the southwest it is
marked by a series of varicolored
sandstone cliffs, carved into fantastic
shapes by the action of the elements.
AS progress is made southwark these
cliffs become bold and towering and
form a veritable gallery of grotesque
rockery, ending in one immense colos-
sal natural monument, which the tour
st need not be told is Ell Moro or In
scription Rock,
The majestic cliff of fine grained
sandstone projects several hundred
sa line, and dwarfs into insignifcance
every surrounding object.
Not a Gibraltar, and lacking the aw-
full magnitude of FL Captain of the
Yosemite, yet more beautiful and
imposing bit of scenery is not to be
found in the United States. The rock
covers about 10 or ~ acres and it's
sheer, smooth walls rise perpendicular
ly to a dizzy height of several hundred
feet. The base is triangular, narrow
ing to rounded but comparatively
thin edge at the eastern end The
stratification is slightly tilted and the
age. The action of frost has broken
immense sheets of stone from the cliff,
leaving smooth patches of wall. The
top stratum is much harder than that
of the bottom, and has served as a
shield to the softer material below, |
thus preserving the bold outlines of the |
rock
It is not too much to say that no !
rock formation in the west, or, per-
haps, in the world, is so well adapted |
to the purpose for which this table of
stone was used. At least history does
|nct record any collection of similar
centuries, some of which are the only
axtant memoranda of the early expe-
|ditions and explorations of what is now
|the southwestern part of the United
States.
The coloring of this venerable pile is
characteristic of the American desert.
Here there are no frowning cliffs, no
dirk and blackened walls, no moss
c,vered crags, and no somber dikes;
Ibut, like a beautiful flag for the first
|time unfurled, this glorious rock, re-
splendent in bright but softly blended |
hles, stands out in bold relief, as if |
newly cleaved from the virgin forma-
ton. The prevailing color is brown
lsh gray, relieved by waved lines tint
led by shades of red, yellow, drab, and |
bold dashes of kindred color.
On these smooth walls, usually un-
Ger some projecting stratum, inscrip- |
tions We're cut by the early conquerors
and explorers, which have made this
rock one among the most interesting
objects on the continent.
Here in this remote and uninhabited
region, in the shadow Of one Of natures
most unique obelisks, wrapped in the
profound silence of the desert, with no
living thing to break the stiffness, it is
hard to realize that 800 years ago these
same wallis echoed the clank of steel
harness and coats of mail; that with
the implements of Spanish conquest
the pathfinders in the new world were
carving historical records upon the
eternal rocks
Just what instruments We're used it
is difficult to say, but the Oldest in
scriptions covering period of over
half century, We're cut with round
pointed instrument, possibly the point
of a sword or Spanish verduguillo.
1t is rather remarkable that these
Spanish inscriptions, cut two or three
hundred years ago, should have out
lived those of Americans of less than
half century. This is due to the fact
that those cut by the Spanish adven-
turers We're executed by small point
ed instrument, cutting deep thread
like groove or line, while the work of
the American brothers was done with
the slash of the ever ready jack knife,
the defacer of almost every natural OBJ
ject in America not under immediate
surveillance of police. The Spanish
writer executed his lettering in script as
neatly as If inscribing the record page
of the Magma Charta. This is in mark
ed contrast with the inscription of John