Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-10-19
INTERESTING LEGEND
OF CLIFF JEWELLERS
HOW MOQUIS TELL OF EARLY
FEATS, FEARFUL WARS, AND
SUBSEQUENT WANDERINGS OF
THEIR ANCESTORS.

-
Capt. John Moss, a La Plata county
| pioneer, relates the following legend
OF the cliff jewellers, as obtained by
him from the head men of a Moqui
pueblo, which he visited zen route
from California.
The whole of La Plata county, Colo
RADIO, just north of San Juan county,
n. NJ, as 1t now stands on the maps,
was once a land of paradise, densely
populated. It's inhabitants lived in
peace and harmony with the world,
as known to them. They knew moth
ing of the arts Of war, and their lands
produced ab~undantly. They we're a
happy and prosperous people, n
lived in the love and fear of their
God. But eventually a terrible tremb-
ling of the earth occurred. The waters
disappeared and great mountains &C.
cupied their places, while old noun
tains crumbled into dust and new
water courses appeared. The larger
part of the people were destroyed.
The remainder, however, continued
their former a~vocations, made new
homes and again began to prosper
and multiply. They discovered a yell
low metallic substance i'm many of the
| oil tdllSs anu Il bliSAl MnlAC IlNAal III
the mountains. They began to use
these metals in barter and trade with
one another. According to the Moqui
tradition and by their method of COM
putting time, this must have occurred
about six thousand years ago, This
condition of affairs prevailed until
within a thousand years ago, when
they were visited by savage strangers,
| rhn., 49, #rAnfAI IA@Vftn11V~ nWhAan
/ visits became more frequent and an
noying. The troublesome neighbors
began to forage upon them, and de-
vastated their farms.
So, to save their lives, they built
houses high up on the cliffs, where
they could store food and hide away
until the invaders should leave. But
one summer the northern nomads
came with their families and settled
down, laying siege, as il were. Driven
from their homes and lands, and star
wing in their little inches on the rocks,
they could only steal away at night,
and wander from place to place across
the mesas. At the CTistone, or last
battle ground, near the head of Nc
Elmo canyon, they halted for rest ana
to make preparations for crossing the
lEltdl ldhG AlDh tut AbMt CT UOA Alhn VI
MOnteZuma valley and extending
south and west into the desert lands
of Arizona.) Here they erected for.
tifications, and watch towers, and
filled the adjoining caves full of rests
for these human wrens and spaTrows
until their boats could be built. When
the last of the women and children
were embarked and well out to sea
the alarm and signal were given from
one Of the watch towers that their
foes had pursued and were Upon them.
} For long months the mortimer
fought and were driven back, but as
often they came again, with renewed
| numbers. At length, however, the be
siegers were driven away. But the
tradition goes on to say, in evidence
of the great battle, that the hollows
of the rocks were filled to the brim
{ with the mangted bodies and blood OF
{ ~cOnquerors and conquered, and that
red veins of blood ran down the can
, yon. II was a victory such as they
could not afford to risk again, and
therefore they Don followed thelI
, wives and children across the water
There in the deserts Of Arizona, Oh
an isolated, well nigh unapproachable
bluff or mesa, they built new towers
and thei few descendants, the Moquis
live in them until this day, preserving
more carefully and purely the history
and yeneration OF their forefathers
and to love and fear God. than many
more enlightened nations.-AEtec In
deK.