﻿78 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 76 



Fortified with all the information obtainable, most of which was 

 later found to be useless, Mr. Judd proceeded to Kayenta, Arizona, 

 upon conclusion of his annual explorations for the Society in Pueblo 

 Bonito. At Kayenta, the limit of automobile transportation, saddle 

 and pack mules were obtained for the prospective journey. Besides 

 ]\Ir. Judd the party consisted of John Wetherill, guide, E. L. Wisherd, 

 photographer for the National Geographic Society, George B. Martin 

 of Denver and Julian Edmonson of McElmo, Colorado, assistants. 

 Two Navaho Indians who professed to know something of the region 

 to be visited failed, in turn, to appear as the time for departure 

 approached. 



It had been planned to swim the Rio San Juan at the mouth of 

 Piute Canyon but the river, being still in flood, forced a long east- 

 ward detour that cost the expedition several days' time and brought it 

 to the Clay Hill divide by way of Grand Gulch. Further delay was 

 experienced at this point in recovering a quantity of grain and pro- 

 visions which Indians had failed to deliver, on a previously designated 

 date, at the Clay Hill Crossing. 



Having gained the west slopes of the Clay Hills, seven of the 12 

 pack mules were pastured in a secluded cove at the head of Lake 

 Canyon and those supplies actually recjuired for the return journey 

 were cached nearby. With fewer animals and equipment to care for 

 and with only a week's rations, more rapid progress could be made 

 and a proportionately larger area traversed in the limited time available 

 for actual exploration. 



From this base camp the party continued in a northwesterly direc- 

 tion to the Rio Colorado at Hall's Crossing, thence along the river 

 edge into Moki Canyon. The latter, because of its name, had been 

 chosen as one of the objectives of the expedition, under the belief that 

 numerous remains of prehistoric habitations would be found in its 

 deeper recesses. 



Moki Canyon had been represented as about five miles long and 

 enterable, on foot only, at its mouth and extreme head. Mr. Judd not 

 only led his pack train into the narrow gorge, but he advanced with 

 it 18 miles or about two-thirds the total length, over quicksands and 

 rock ledges that added frequent barriers and not a little danger to the 

 expedition. 



Signs indicative of former Indian trails were noted at intervals 

 throughout that portion of the canyon traversed and on one of these, 

 after having directed the other members of the ]iarty to return to the 

 Lake Canyon cache, Mr. Judd and his guide climbed the north wall of 

 Moki Canyon in order to ascertain the location and characteristics of 



