195109-DesertMagazin.. - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

The Moquis often selected sites for their homes which are almost inaccessible today.
the figures which the ancient artists put
on the walls, the archeologists have
never agreed as to their significance—
why they were placed there and what
their meaning may have been to the
tribesmen of that period. Members of
our little campfire group were unanimous
as to one conclusion—we agreed
that the art work of the ancients is no
less baffling than are some of the socalled
modernistic creations which certain
contemporary artists are exhibiting
today.
Botanically, the Kaiparowits exhibited
specimens of both the Transitional
and Alpine zones of life. The
highest elevation we reached was 7410,
and the plant life included Sego lily,
the state flower of Utah, Indian paint
brush, and great fields of purple lupine
just coming into blossom. In addition
to the forest of pinyon pine and juniper
there were aspen, manzanita, service
berries, ephedra, scrub oak, sage and
one of the prickly pear species of cactus.
While there were many deer tracks
on the plateau, we saw only one of
these animals—a doe. Other wildlife
was sparse — one rattlesnake, a few
jackrabbits, rodents and lizards. Apparently
the water supply here is too
limited for most species of game animals.
At the edge of the plateau we were
looking down on the great Escalante
River basin with its scores of tributaries.
Everett Ruess, 20-year-old
poet-artist-explorer went into this region
alone with his two burros in 1934
to explore the Moqui houses — and
never returned. His diary and letters
have since then been published by
Desert Magazine in On Desert Trails
with Everett Ruess.
Edson and Delane were among
those who spent many days searching
for the missing boy. One evening at
the campfire they told in detail their
theories to explain his mysterious disappearance.
Like many other residents
of the Escalante region, they believe
he met with foul play.
Use of ropes was necessary for security
purposes in scaling some of the
cliffs where the ancient dwellings were
located. In one place we found where
the Moquis had cut finger and toe holds
in the sandstone face to reach their
home-in-the-cavern.
In one area we found the ground
covered with chips of flint and obsidian.
For some reason the Indians
had used this spot as a factory site for
the making of their points. The stone
used in making their weapons had to
be brought up on the plateau from distant
deposits, for there was no rock
on the Kaiparowits suitable for this
purpose. Edson picked up a beautiful
turquoise bead—obviously brought in
from elsewhere.
At the end of four days—which was
the length of our scheduled camp on
the plateau, the three little tinajas
where we dipped out domestic water
were nearly empty.
Perhaps it was lack of water which
eventually oaused the little brown men
of the Moqui tribe to abandon their
homes on top of the plateau. I am sure
it was a matter of great urgency to them
—for with an ample supply of food
and water this truly would be an ideal
hideaway for peaceful tribesmen who
preferred to live by toil rather than by
plunder.
SEPTEMBER, 1951 11