very summit of the mesa, and to appease the aggressive element a human
sacrifice was necessary. A youth and a maiden, son and daughter of two
priests, were thrown into this ocean. Two great pinnacles, which have
been carved from the main mesa by weathering influences, are looked
upon by the Zuñi as the actual youth and maiden converted into
stone, and are appealed to as "father" and "mother." Many of the Zuñi
legends and superstitions are associated with this mesa, while over
its summit are spread the extensive ruins of the long ago deserted
village. There are in many localities, around its precipitous sides
and walls, shrines and groups of sacred objects which are constantly
resorted to by different orders of the tribe. Some of the most
interesting of these are the most inaccessible. When easy of approach
they are in such secluded spots that a stranger might pass without
dreaming of the treasures within his reach. On the western side of
this mesa are several especially interesting shrines. About half way
up the acclivity on the west side an overhanging rock forms the
base of one of the pinnacles referred to. This rock is literally
honeycombed with holes, from one-half to three-fourths of an inch in
diameter. I visited the spot in the fall of 1884, with Professors E.B.
Tylor and H.N. Moseley, of Oxford, England, and Mr. G.K. Gilbert,
of the United States Geological Survey. These gentlemen could not
determine whether the tiny excavations were originally made by
human hands or by some other agency. The Indian's only answer when
questioned was, "They be long to the old; they were made by the gods."
Hundreds of these holes contain bits of cotton and wool from garments.
In the side of this rock there are larger spaces, in which miniature
vases, filled with sand, are placed. The sand is ground by rubbing
stones from the same rock. The vases of sand, and also the fragments
of wool and cotton, are offerings at the feet of the "mother" rock.
Here, too, can be seen a quantity of firewood heaped as shown in the