21.
Lt. J. H. Simpson, an engineer for the army, and Mr. R. H. Kern, a Philadelphia artist who rode around with the army drawing pictures, were the first English-speaking people to make a record of Inscription Rock.
Eulate inscription, 1620
Simpson and Kern inscription, 1849
They spent 2 days copying the inscriptions, and stated that when they were here, not a single English inscription could be found on the rock.
Recall the word “gentleman” crossed out back at [Stake No. 20]? Mr. Kern’s drawing faithfully shows the word X’d out just as you saw it.
The Spanish inscription below was done by one of three Spanish soldiers left to “guard” 2,000 Zuñi Indians in 1699. It reads:
“I am of the hand (that is, written by) of Felipe de Arellano on the 16th of September, soldier.”
In 1700, the Zuñis apparently thought the odds in their favor were good, so they killed the three Spaniards.
To the right of Arellano’s inscription is a marvel of Spanish “shorthand.” A good scholar translated it for us. Here it is in both Spanish and English:
“Se pasaron a 23 de marzo de 1632 años a la venganza de muerte del Padre Letrado.—Lujan”
The translation reads:
“They passed on the 23rd of March, 1632, to the avenging of the death of the Father Letrado.—Lujan”
About the year 1629, Father Letrado built the earliest mission chapel at what we call today Salinas National Monument (near Mountainair, New Mexico, southwest of Albuquerque).
He was transferred to Zuñi in February of 1632 and was killed just a week later. On hearing the news in Santa Fe, Lujan and a party of soldiers reached Zuñi in remarkably fast time.
Lujan inscription, 1632
This is the end of the inscription part of our trail. You may retrace your steps back to headquarters, or, if you wish, you may continue your hike on up over the mesa top, past the ruins, and down to headquarters by the return trail on the other side.
Please stay on the trail