Evening star., 1936-08-17
NdyaiOs' Black Desert a Mystery
Lava Formation Virtually mpenetrabe Because of Glass
Sharp Edges of Dunes and Ridges.
This is the second OF series OF
articles on the NnDdjo Indian Res
RTpatiOn.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

- RANTS, N. Mex, August IT,
A black valley, into whose
demonic depths human be-
~ ing has not gone for half
thousand years, terror-haunted land
more than 500 square miles in area,
constituting one of the largest unex-
plored regions in the United States
Such is the Desert Of the Black
Blood of the Navajo Indians. 1t near
ly borders on their reservation. 1t
is a strip about Is miles wide be-
tween high, red mesaS and running
for about 40 miles into the noun
tains, with two or three narrow, pro-
jecting tongues diverging from it. 1t
lies under the shadow Of Mount
Taylor, volcano extinct for many
centuries, which is one of the sacred
mountains of the Navajo tribe.
1t has remained to this day unex-
plored, because it is impenetrable,
except at prodigious cost and effort:
although the unknown land is only
a few miles away from hard-sur-
faced highway. Its floor is COM
dried blood, thrown up in dunes and
ridges whose edges are sharp as glass.
1t is split by great chaSms so to 100
feet deep, to get past which detours
of many miles must be made. The
land is utterly devoid of any moiS-
ture, although in some places the
lava has decompoSed into thin patches
of soil, upon which grow wild grapes,
red, sour sQuawberries and gray
Apache plums. There is a consider
able small mammal life, consisting of
coal-black mice and pack rats, prob
ably lizards and some other reptiles,
and an abundance of insects which
feed on the flowers. Such is the con-
dition around the edges, as far as
man has penetrated.
Ruins Of Ancient City Rumored.
What is in the depths of the desert,
no man knows. Probably nothing
except the same black desolation, al
though there are weird rumors about
the countryside of the ruins of an
ancient city and Of dsSh-eating
dragons. The unlikelihood of finding
anything worth while is one of the
factors which has deferred explora-
tion-together with the inherent diff
ficulty of penetrating it very far. In
the first place any party which hopes
to go more than or 10 miles into
the desert must pack on its backs all
the food, water and other supplies
which will be required for days. All
progress must be on foot and very
slow. The sharp, glasslike lava for
nation cuts the SoleS Of shoes so that
a pair will only last few hours.
Horses cannot be used, because it
would tear up their hoofs in a short
time, and for this reason the place
is probably free of the wolves. coyotes
and pumaS Of the surrounding hill
country. In addition, is the constant
danger of falling into one of the great
chasms, some of which are concealed
by thin roofs of lava, like filmy sheets
of ice over breaks in the Arctic ice.
And it would be very hard for rescue
party to reach anybody who got into
trouble in the depths of the black
desert. An airplane landing, of course,
would be impossible. Aviators have
flown over it and made various notes,
which increase the fascination Of the
land.
Among the few who have pene-
trated the Desert OF Black Blood is
M. e. MuSgraVe, formerly Of the
Biological Survey and now q Soil
Conservation Service director. He
went in only 2 or miles and spent
= night there, attracted by the pos
sibility that it might be a retreat
of mountain sheep. He found on the
black floor many skulls Of sheep and
wild horses, but no living animals.