ola.

When Coronado, at the head of his intrepid army, marched through the
land in the year 1540, he procured native guides to aid him in
exploring the country, hoping to find fabulous wealth which failed to
materialize. He heard of a race of giants whom he wished to meet, but
instead of finding them discovered a river with banks so high that they
"seemed to be raised three or four leagues into the air." What he saw
was the Colorado River with its gigantic canon walls and wealth of
architectural grandeur and beauty. The bewildering sight naturally
astonished him as it does every beholder. Think of a fissure in the
earth over a mile deep! But the Grand Canon of Arizona is more that a
simple fissure in the earth. It is composed of many canons which form
a seemingly endless labyrinth of winding aisles and majestic
avenues--fit promenades for the Gods.

The land of the Moquinos is full of surprises and, although they are
not all as startling as the Grand Canon, they are sufficiently striking
to make Arizona a wonderland that is second to none on the continent.

The Moquis live in seven towns or pueblos which are built upon three
rocky mesas that are many miles apart. The mesas are about seven
thousand feet above sea level and from six to eight hundred feet higher
than the surrounding plain. Upon the first or eastern mesa are located
the three towns of Te-wa, Si-chom-ovi and Wal-pi. Tewa is the newest
of the three towns and was built by the Tehuan allies who came as
refugees from the Rio Grande after the great rebellion of 1680. They
were granted permission to build on the spot by agreeing to defend the
Gap, where the trail leaves the mesa, against all intruders.

Upon the second or middle mesa are the towns of Mi-shong-novi,
Shi-pauli-ovi and Shong-o-pavi; and on the third mesa is O-rai-bi,
which is the largest of the Moqui villages, and equal to the other six
in size and population. The entire population of the seven Moqui towns
numbers about two thousand souls.

In 1583 Espejo estimated that the Moquis numbered fifty thousand,
which, doubtless, was an over estimate, as he has been accused of
exaggeration. However, since their discovery their numbers have
greatly diminished and steadily continue to decrease, as if it were
also to be their fate to become extinct like the ancient cliff dwellers.

The Moqui Pueblos are well protected by natural barriers upon all sides
except towards the south. Perched upon