" Many of the Zuni 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the tiny excavations were originally made by human hands or by some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
belong 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.
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