Viewing page 54 of 138

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

-3-

beds of a large number of lakes. About 30 of these are permanent while I examined the dry beds of about 40 others large enough to be of importance when filled. In addition there were a large number of smaller basins all of which will contain water after the start of the summer rains.

The surface of the mesa has five broad openings, containing grassy meadows extending across it that average from half a mile to a mile in breadth while the intervening portions are grown with a fine forest of Yellow Pine ([[underlined]] Pinus brachyptera [[/underlined]]) . This forest is scattered and open at the north and more dense on the southern half of the plateau. The larger lakes lie in the broad openings while smaller ones, some only fifty yards across, are found in small hollows scattered through the forest. Quaking aspens ([[underlined]] Populus aurea [[/underlined]]) form extensive groves at the heads of small slopes and valleys and a few oaks ([[underlined]] Quercus gambili [[/underlined]]) were noticed. Douglas spruce grows in some areas on the mesa and in the canyons that break from the summit on the north and west.

This high mesa is used by the Navajo Indians as a grazing ground for stock, summer and winter hogans inhabited by these people were scattered about over the summit and the Indians themselves were seen daily. I estimated that during the period covered by this work that 6000 sheep, 350 horses and 150 cattle were ranging here. It is possible that there were more horses and cattle as it was difficult to estimate the number found in the forest. The season had been dry and the grazing animals had cropped the range closely so that the meadows and lake shores had only the shortest of grass remaining. Because of this lack of feed it was necessary to hasten the work as much as practicable in order to get out before our own stock played out. The summer rains started as we were leaving so that feed would soon be abundant.