718 Rock-Inseriptions of “ Ancient Pueblos.” (December, 
houses are these representations to be seen in great numbers. 
They have been formed by placing the outspread palms against 
the rock and spattering mud or paint around them, leaving an 
accurate and natural-sized outline of the original. These we 
noticed of all sizes, frequently in pairs, with the thumbs touching. 
It is impossible to say whether they were intended to convey 
any particular idea, or whether they were daubed on the walls 
in idle moments. However, they are the most instructive ob- 
jects of the ancient picture-writing, and give the ethnologist an 
important clew to the original people, in the shape, size, and ap- 
pearance of the hands. We can see that some of them (prob- 
ably those of children and females) were symmetrical, delicately 
molded, and beautiful, while many more (undoubtedly those of 
the adult laborers) were large, rough, and powerful. These oc- 
cur more particularly in the Casa del Eco (a cave-house on the 
San Juan) and above a collection of cliff ruins near Epsom 
Creek, in Utah. The illustration (Figure 61) will convey a better 
idea of them. 
Just to the west of Ute Mountain, on 
a bowlder of rock near the old Indian 
trail leading down the McElmo arroyo, 
in Southwest Colorado, is an ancient 
inscription representing a man, two deer 
or elk, and several characters intended 
' (Fig. 61.) ANCIENT HAND- : j 
PRINTS ON THE ROCKS, NEAR for either the feet or the foot-prints of 
er ee TIS a human being, or of a bear (Figure 62). 
Now as there are deer and bear on the neighboring mountain, 
this may be the record of an event, and may possibly be translated 
thus: A hunter, observing the tracks of a bear, trailed him some 
distance, and instead of discovering the bear overtook two deer 
or elk, which he slew. The figures may be intended for either, 
probably the latter, one full-grown and the other smaller. 
There have been no written accounts discovered among the 
remains of the “ Ancient Pueblos,” 1 nothing but these hiero- 
glyphics, and by the employment of the latter symbols the In- 
n in New Mexico, 
“They formerly had the art of writing, but appear to have lost it in their many me 
tations. They preserve one book, but the last man who could read it pee! 
covered with characters and drawings in red, blue, green —squares, 
cles, serpents, eagles, plants, flying monsters, and hideous human heads. asi 
their Caciques says it is the history of their race, and shows that they have 
fourteen times, this being their fifteenth place of settlement.” 
