The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1912-03-02
,uasKu uuam
Et:s]HEl1[. ss9

i1I1e!afs w .s ..s his topograph-
ic survey OF
the British Columbia an Alberta
boundary line and the Mou i Robson
region. recently returned t. Washing
ton.
N. Hollister. naturalist In charge OF
the party. Is elated over the success OF
the expedition, and states that the
new collection Is quite complete and
covers practically all the birds and
animals inhabiting this previously un-
worked territory. The party was a
small one, consisting Of four members.
including Mr.. Hollister. assistant cura-
tor of mammals. and j. H. Riley Of the
division OF birds in the national mu-
scum.
Assembling at Edmonton, Alberta.
the party proceeded on the Grand
Trunk railroad to the end Of the line.
where they found it necessary to take
pack horses to penetrate the Mount
Robson region. The land to be sur.
veyed included the territory lying
about this mountain in the heart OF
the Canadian Rockies, comprising the
most rugged and broken country imag'
Unable. Amidst this wonderful scenery
Mount Robson rises in titanic outline,
the highest peak in the Rockies. prob,
ably between 14.500 and $4,000 feet
high. and surrounding it for q dis
tance of so miles In all directions
lies the field Of the survey.
In this wild and unclaimed country
the party of naturalists remained near
ly four months. protected by special
permits from the Canadian govern
ment The natural history work was
divided. Mr.. Hollister and Mr.. Riley
collecting the birds and small animals,
while the other collectors hunted big
game. The collection includes some
800 specimens of birds and mammals,
the latter ranging in size from tiny
mole-like creatures. called "shews." to
fullgrown caribous and bears.
One enormous grizzly bear was oh
tanned by 4 fortunate shot. Much ane
material for exhibition groups was Sc.
cured. including . series of caribou.
mountain goats, mountain sheep,
beavers and many varieties Of smaller
animals Besides birds and mammals.
large numbers OF plants and insects
were collected. All the specimens have
been turned over to the national mu-
scum and when the collection IL
worked up parts OF it will be put on
exhibition
F. w. Hodge, ethnologist In charge
of the bureau of American ethnology
tnu
turned to Washington from an expedi
ton to New Mexico. conducted under
the joint auspices OF the bureau and
the School OF American Archaeology
at Santa Fe. EARLY in September Mr.
Hodge proceeded to Ell Moro. or In
scription Rock, in western New Mex
leo, where, with the assistance Of
Jesse l.. Nusbaum OF the School Of
American Archaeology, paper impress
sions and photographs Of the inscrip-
lions on the rock were made.
Ell Moro Is an enormous sandstone
rock rising a couple of hundred feet
out Of the plain. and eroded in such
fantastic forms as to give 1t the ap-
pearance of a great castle, hence its
Spanish name. A small spring former
ly existing at the rock made 1t a con-
venient place for the Spanish explorers
Of the seventeenth and eighteenth cen
uries. and the smooth face OF the cas-
tie" we'll adapted it to receive the
Inscriptions of the conQuerors Of that
early period.
The earliest inscription. and his
,oricaily the most important, IL that
of Juan de Onate. colonizer of New
Mexico and the founder of the city Of
Santa Fe in 1906. 1t was In this year
hat Onate visited El MORO and
carved this inscription on his return
from a trip to the head Of the Gulf Of
California.
There are 10 other Spanish inscrip.
lions Of almost equal Importance,
among them that Of Don Diego de
Vargas. who. in 1892. reconquered the
Pueblo Indians after their rebellion
against Spanish authority in 1850. The
paper impressions. or "squeezes." have
been transferred to the national mu.
seum. where plaster casts shortly will
be made Of them for permanent pres.
ervation.
Although Ell Moro has been made .
national monument by proclamation OF
the president. there is no local custo.
iian, consequently the rock is exposed
to vandalism. and the inscriptions. SO
important to the early history Of the
southwest. are ever threatened with
destruction by the thoughtIess visitors,
who scratch their own Insignificant
names IN dangerous proximity to these
old records Of early exploration.
Mr.. Hodge later joined Dr. Edgar l..
Hewett. director Of the School Of
American Archaeology. on an sxpedf.
ton to the Jemex valley. about sixty
i've miles northwest Of AlbuQueroue,
where excavations were conducted in
the ruins Of large stone pueblo
known ~ AmoxiumQua. which meas