THE ZUNI INDIANS OF NEW MEXICO. 



587 



The Zuni language is much like that of other Pueblo Indians, but 

 the words are, apparently, rather indefinite, requiring much facial 

 contortion and bodily gesticulation to make their sentences perfectly 

 intelligible. They have no schools. Their hieroglyphical writings 

 may be seen in many places, while all along the Canons de Choca and 

 de Chelle are traces of the ancient march of this people. At Mesa 

 Pintada (Painted Rock), about 100 miles to the northward, we copied 

 one of their hieroglyphical inscriptions, as seen in the engraving. This 

 writing being in the Navajo region, is believed by some to be the 



Fig. 5. 



Zuxi Vegetable-gakdens. 



work of that tribe ; but this could hardly be, since the Navajoes are a 

 nomadic people, and, besides, are not known to possess hieroglyphical 

 writings. The Mesa Pintada is a vertical wall of sandstone, about 150 

 feet high. The inscription, as here given, was copied on the spot, and 

 is a faithful representation. Commencing at a, the writing runs, with 

 the mesa, westward; the space from a to e is 16 feet; the figures are 

 reduced to one-fifth their original size. 



There are many ruins of stone-houses in the vicinity of Zuni, at 

 Agua Fria, El Moro, Ojo de Benado, and Old Zuni, which were un- 

 doubtedly towns inhabited at the time of the Spanish conquest, con- 



