280 COLUMBIAN HISTORICAL EXPOSITION AT MADRID. 



elated. The Indians represented in the monograph installed in this 

 room have changed so little during the last three centuries that we may 

 assert that, recognizing the greater antiquity of the archa3ological 

 objects, their resemblance to the ethnological objects proves that the 

 two are identical, and that, in studying the ancient objects, we are 

 considering the productions, not of a distinct race, but of one and the 

 same people. Many of the archa3ological objects found in ruins which 

 existed when the discovery of Arizona took place are so similar to the 

 modern ones that, considering the subject from the ethnological as well 

 as archa3ological point of view, we must perceive we are dealing with a 

 race which is in nearly the same condition in which it was at the time 

 of the Conquest. 



The province of Tusayan, from which these specimens came, is situ 

 ated in the northeast part of the Territory of Arizona, near the Grand 

 Canyon of the Colorado. This region was discovered by the Spanish 

 conquerors entering it from Mexico, and was described in early accounts, 

 copies of some of which figure in the exhibit. It is a plateau, situated 

 at a height of 7,000 feet above the level of the sea, very dry and barren, 

 furrowed by canyons, and covered with &quot; mesas&quot; forming steep pre 

 cipices. The few rivers which exist in this desert dry up in summer, 

 and change to impetuous torrents after the great rains of the autumn 

 and winter. There are a few fragile trees scattered over the plains, 

 but there is little grass and very scanty shrubbery. The cactus abounds 

 in some places and the sage-bush is very common. 



None of the great mammifera are now found in this arid desert. The 

 bison never visited these deserts, and the larger ruminants have always 

 been scarce. The wolf, the coyote, and the rabbit are almost the sole 

 large mammalia existing there. Of these, the last is the only one that 

 is hunted to a considerable extent, although, in the mountains of the 

 West, the antelope, the wild goat, the American lion, and the bear are 

 still found. 



Reptiles abound, some of them being very poisonous, and many kinds 

 of birds form a rich fauna, which has been but partially studied. 



The varied and abundant flora is characteristic of the arid belt of 

 the United States and Mexico. The expedition has in course of publi 

 cation an extensive memoir on the alimentary plants and those used 

 by the Ho-pi, especially for medicines, incantations, and food. 



The Ho-pi Indians are now some two thousand in number, and live 

 in seven towns, built on the tops of the inaccessible mountain mesas, 

 the way to which is by steep paths, in many cases cut in the living 

 rock. The sites of these towns have no vegetation, as their gardens 

 are on the arid plains which extend at the foot of the mesas. They 

 are compelled to carry up from the plains the food, the water, the 

 fuel, and everything that is needed for the uses of life. 



Of these seven towns, three Wal-pi, Si-tcom-o-vi, and Ha-no are 

 situated on a mesa which extends to the east of the others. The dis- 



