hough] 



ANTIQUITIES OF GILA-SALT VALLEYS 



31 



meter, and the roofs were entire on some of the rooms. Round beams with 

 the hark peeled off were in a good state of preservation. The diameter of these 

 beams varied between 0.07 and 0.24 meter (3 to 9i inches). The roof which 

 these beams supported was of the ordinary pueblo pattern and 0.2.". meter 

 (9 inches) thick. The doorways were nearly square, and low. Air holes, T- 

 shaped and of unusual size (0.95 by 1 meter), opened upon the outside in 

 several places. 



These buildings occupy four caverns, the second of which toward the east is 

 10 meters high. The western cave communicates with the others only from 

 the outside, while the three eastern ones are separated by huge pillars, behind 

 which arc natural passages from one cave to the other. The height of the floor 



Fig. 1. Cliff-dwellings, West fork of the Gila. 



above the bed of the creek is 55 meters, and the ascent is steep, in some places 

 barely possible. To one coming from the mouth of the cleft the caves become 

 visible only after he has passed them, so that they are well concealed. But 

 while it would be difficult for an Indian foe to take the place by storm, its 

 inhabitants could easily be cut off from water or starved. The southern slope, 

 fronting the caves, is steep, but covered with forests, and the cleft is so nar- 

 row that a handful of men, armed with bows and arrows and posted behind 

 the tall pines, could effectively blockade the cave dwellings. With all its 

 natural advantages, therefore, this cave village was still extremely vulnerable. 

 Among the many objects taken from these ruins I mention particularly 

 sandals made of strips of the yucca. It may be remembered that similar foot- 

 gear was found at the Tze'-yi (Chelly). I have been informed that the Tara- 

 humares of southwestern Chihuahua still wear the same kind of sandals. In 



