= 1876.] Rock-Inscriptions of “ Ancient Pueblos.” 721 
Sit pis ota in aoe 
_ May represent monkeys, although from their 
. they resemble more a pair of tailed human 
. ‘ Occur two animals resembling huge lizards ; 
: intended for disproportioned sand-lizards, & 
- Figure 10 is comparatively ancient, somewha 
— Prevalent patterns to be seen on the ancient po 
_ ` more modern, as may be seen from the presen 
; 46 
a mastodon, a horse, a dog, anda man. Their heads are turned 
to the east, and this may commemorate the passage of the abo- 
tigines of the Gila on their way south.” Tt is evident, however, 
that these etchings were of comparatively recent date, from the 
presence of the horse, unless the figure was designed for some 
other animal, which seems probable. The presence of the mas- 
todon is also extremely doubtful, and we must indeed stretch our 
imaginations in order to believe that this ancient animal was 
known to these people and pictured in their hieroglyphs, for 
although their antiquity may be great, they certainly do not 
date back to the quaternary period. 
Mr. W. H. Holmes, in charge of one of the branches of the 
United States Geological Survey of the Territories, discovered a 
number of singular inscriptions, some of them evidently of mod- 
em workmanship, but many of them of almost undoubted antiq- 
uity. Figures 1, 2, and 3, Plate XIII., were copied from the rocks 
near the Mancos in the vicinity of some of the cliff-houses. The 
majority of these figures were intended to portray the human 
form, though in grotesque shapes and attitudes. In Figure 2 
may be seen one or two representations of animals, though what 
they may have been designed for it is impossible to determine. 
Figures 4, 5, and 6 occur near the others, painted in red and 
white clay. Mr. Holmes thinks that ‘these were certainly done 
by the cliff-builders, and probably while the houses: were 1n 
Process of construction, since the material used is identical with 
the plaster of the houses. The reproduction is approximately 
one twelfth the size of the original.” The remainder of the 
gures on this plate and those given on Plate XIV. were seen 
ten miles below the mouth of the Rio la Plata, on the San Juan 
River, All of them have been etched in the rocks, and m 
bodies of the figures have been generally chipped out, ie oe 
to a depth of a quarter or a half of an inch. In — g 
Plate XIII. we can distinguish several objects, as a bird, a deer, 
uh tal atter 
several fanci i men with tails. These lat 
anciful designs, and two oo ur ppiiin 
beings. In Figure 
they are probably 
nd not alligators. 
o drawing of a horse. 
t resembling the — 
ttery. Figure 9 
ce of the horse. 
re 11 is without doubt a recent Navaj 
YOL, X.— No. 12 
