﻿HOLMES.] 
  LETTER 
  TO 
  DR. 
  F. 
  V. 
  HAYDEN. 
  239 
  

  

  our 
  chief 
  packer, 
  Thomas 
  Cooper, 
  all 
  were 
  recaptured 
  and 
  returned 
  

   safely 
  to 
  camp 
  before 
  morning. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  now 
  ascertained 
  that 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  could 
  be 
  forded 
  with 
  ease 
  ; 
  

   we 
  therefore 
  crossed 
  and 
  pushed 
  our 
  investigations 
  into 
  Arizona, 
  spent 
  

   a 
  week 
  about 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Carriso, 
  and 
  returned 
  to 
  La 
  Plata 
  again 
  by 
  way 
  

   of 
  the 
  Mancos 
  Canon, 
  giving 
  a 
  little 
  additional 
  time 
  to 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  

   very 
  interesting 
  ruins 
  that 
  occur 
  there. 
  

  

  As 
  we 
  approached 
  the 
  La 
  Plata 
  camp 
  on 
  the 
  30th, 
  we 
  were 
  much 
  sur- 
  

   13rised 
  to 
  encounter 
  the 
  parties 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Gannett 
  and 
  Mr. 
  Gardner, 
  which, 
  

   while 
  working 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  between 
  the 
  Abajo 
  and 
  La 
  Sal 
  Mountains, 
  

   near 
  our 
  northern 
  line, 
  had 
  been 
  attacked 
  by 
  Indians 
  and 
  forced 
  to 
  relin- 
  

   quish 
  further 
  operations 
  in 
  that 
  region. 
  It 
  is 
  quite 
  probable 
  that 
  these 
  

   Indians, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  those 
  who 
  made 
  the 
  raid 
  on 
  our 
  herd, 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  

   outlawed 
  band 
  of 
  Utes, 
  Pai-Utes, 
  and 
  Navajos, 
  who, 
  under 
  the 
  lead 
  of 
  

   Pah-ghe-nob-i-gant, 
  infest 
  the 
  canons 
  of 
  Southeast 
  Utah, 
  and 
  acknowl- 
  

   edge 
  no 
  tribal 
  or 
  other 
  authority. 
  

  

  It 
  was, 
  under 
  the 
  circumstances, 
  thought 
  unsafe, 
  with 
  so 
  small 
  a 
  party, 
  

   to 
  attempt 
  to 
  visit 
  or 
  survey 
  the 
  country 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  Dolores 
  ; 
  

   but, 
  having 
  been 
  joined 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Gannett, 
  Dr. 
  Peale, 
  Mr. 
  Pearson, 
  and 
  

   Mr. 
  Atkinson, 
  we 
  set 
  out 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  trip 
  to 
  the 
  northeast 
  and 
  north. 
  

   In 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  three 
  weeks 
  we 
  visited 
  the 
  Upper 
  Dolores, 
  the 
  inter- 
  

   Dolores 
  Plateau, 
  and 
  the 
  San 
  Miguel 
  Mountains, 
  also 
  the 
  canon 
  of 
  the 
  

   Dolores, 
  and 
  the 
  dry 
  sage-x)lain 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Late 
  Mountains. 
  

  

  By 
  September 
  8, 
  the 
  regular 
  field-work 
  of 
  the 
  season 
  was 
  completed. 
  

   As 
  there 
  were 
  some 
  points 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  geology 
  of 
  the 
  south- 
  

   eastern 
  corner 
  of 
  our 
  district 
  which 
  needed 
  further 
  attention, 
  and, 
  hav- 
  

   ing 
  in 
  view 
  the 
  prospect 
  of 
  discovering 
  additional 
  ruins, 
  I 
  took 
  a 
  small 
  

   party 
  and 
  passed 
  through 
  that 
  way, 
  coming 
  out 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  Tierra 
  Ama- 
  

   rilla 
  and 
  Conejos, 
  while 
  the 
  main 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  outfit, 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  Mr. 
  

   Chittenden, 
  returned 
  to 
  Denver 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  Silverton 
  and 
  Del 
  Norte. 
  In 
  

   company 
  with 
  Dr. 
  Peale 
  and 
  Mr. 
  Aldrich 
  I 
  visited 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  

   Lower 
  Animas, 
  and 
  followed 
  up 
  the 
  canon 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  to 
  the 
  cross- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  the 
  Spanish 
  trail 
  ; 
  thence 
  we 
  crossed 
  into 
  New 
  Mexico, 
  visited 
  

   Abiquiu 
  and 
  Ojo 
  Caliente, 
  and 
  examined 
  the 
  interesting 
  ruined 
  pueblos 
  

   near 
  those 
  places, 
  and 
  finally, 
  on 
  the 
  5th 
  of 
  October, 
  arrived 
  in 
  Denver. 
  

   Very 
  respectfully, 
  your 
  obedient 
  servant, 
  

  

  WM. 
  H. 
  HOLMES. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  F. 
  V. 
  Hayden, 
  

  

  United 
  States 
  Geologist-in-charge. 
  

  

  