Show CLIFF DWELLINGS OF THE D B W romollo Ro at the break ot of dawn on it bright sunday morinne we started on our trip up the canyon arid and river of tile the samo same name tho the south fork of 0 tile tho rio virgin our destination was tho the cliff dwellings long since abandoned and only soon boon by a fow ot of tho the park employees fred our guide had formerly tori helped on ona a partial survey ot of tho the canyon so eo with ilia his aid arid and with in our four mountain horses und and ono mule wo we sot out tho the mulo was waa slightly balky and caused us ua a little trouble and delay at tile tho junction ot of the rivers but finally with difficult ties partly smoothed wo we proceeded on our way leaving the highway a little north of wo we crossed the muddy rock strown stream and to climb up tip over the lower mesas our path rose as wo we passed along tho the beautiful banks banka of eroded shale mud rock and sand lying as buttresses along tho the foot of tho the niesa mesa these theao seemed tc blond blend imperceptibly with tho the hugo ledges ot of will rod red and black sandston farther up which lit in turn fado in to tho the higher towering cliffs of rod red and white sands sandstone tono after several miles of uphill climbing and many crossings of tho the river wo came to a rocky knoll overlooking the entrance to our canyon to tho the tight right of us its extended another equally interesting ravine traversed by a 13 smaller mallor creek the Sho enburg in a flat below us nestled a little farm and several cultivated fields our standing ground was rocky tough rough and irregular and reminded ono one of somo some hillside farm in new york or on tho the crest of the benchland land stood the frame of a large dwelling of native stone atone construction built of carefully cut stones taken from the cliffs clifta somo some few cew lards ards away no timer finer house lionso could bo be found than this typical early pioneer architecture with its ita massi massive vei walls divided compartments and largo large community room once a prosperous homo home and the center of a largo farm this old ruin now stands with a few rock walls walla and a curious log granery as ai the only monument to the fortitude of an early mormon pioneer who at tempted to subdue and conquer the arid wilderness and the ravage of an angry river the fields now back to nature are mute evidence ot of tho the results of tho the years of toll toil for the river has taken tta its toll and erosion has haa removed much of the farm land and Is cutting back the cliff and will in time undermine this fine old structure leaving this tula ruin and the little farm away avay to our right we ive entered tho the canyon the entrance entea alc sos in fit quickly and wo we wore crossing a fow few flats covered with cottonwood faid oak innumerably nets of 0 tont linao settled on oil tile tho cottonwoods cotton wooda woods and soon will re move most of tile young leaves but tho the trees oro are sturdy tind and soom to ro tho the maag of those posts as they increase lit in size as aa wo we proceeded up tip the river many are several foot in diameter dia motor our talus slopes gave way to rocky lodges of lull dull rod red and tho overlying cliffs began to assume aboc and weird shapes unnamed cragg two roso on either eldo s do to a height of atlon toil of 2200 foot feet on oil either sido tho the precipitous cliffs anil and walls aro are ot of tho the same general coloring and ami formation as those in tho the main ainson of zion tho the out cropping ot of tho ledges and buttes however aro are more prom proal anent at a point about 81 miles up tho the canyon our guide called ua its to a halt and explained that tho the dwellings wore on our I 1 oft loft at adio baso base of the cliffs cliffa wo we dismounted and bogan began tho the trek up tip tho the stoop slope elope not until wo we wore actually at tho the ruins somo some ft above and a half nillo mile away from tile tho river could we perceive any signs of ancient nii clont ex stance istance tho the mud and stone ruins aro are perched on a lilge commanding a swooping panorama of tho the river but hidden to view from below the dwellings are circular in construction with tile tho stones cemented into place by a mixture of mud and straw throe of them are intact and in a good state of 0 preservation tho the willows used as supports for tho the roof aro are dry and brittle but still serve their original design ono small curo surmounts a rock and consists of it a single chamber built lit in a halt half cirelo and lying close to tho the cliff A larger ono consists cons la ta of three chambora chambers to the left and year roar of these Is a cove with many pieces of broken pottery charcoal and burned willow sticks the pottery pieces made from fine alno grade mud and were burned black with no col orations colorations colora tlona on the wall aro are daveral pictography pictographs the ancient inhabitants obtained their water from a small spring 30 feet below and to the loft left of the ruins ruing their common food malzo maize or indian corn was rauch much in evidence in tile the ruins it was probably quite Infer interior for to that which we know to day the cobs coba which we unearthed from the debris debita were very small and irregular but the number of them showed allowed sho wed that they forand a large portion of tho the cliff dwellers diet alon bryce nature notes |