538 EXPEDITION TO ARIZONA IN 1895 [ETH. ANN. 17 
has many fine ranches, the land in immediate proximity to these ruins 
is uncultivated. The nearest habitation, however, is not far away, and 
it is not difficult to find guides to these caves, so well known are they 
to the inhabitants of this part of the valley. It did not take long to 
learn that any investigations which I might attempt there had been 
anticipated by other archeologists and laymen, for many of the rooms 
had been rifled of their contents and their walls thrown down, while it 
was also evident that some careful excavations had been made. 
There is, however, abundant opportunity for more detailed scientific 
work than has yet been attempted on these ruins, and what has thus 
far been accomplished has been more in the nature of reconnoissance. 
The cemeteries and burial places of the prehistoric people of the cavate 
dwellings are yet to be discovered, and it is probable, judging from 
experience gained at other ruins, that when they are found and care- 
fully investigated much light will be thrown on the character of 
ancient cave life. 
The entrances to the cavate dwellings opposite Squaw mountain are 
visible from the road for quite a distance, appearing as rows of holes 
in the steep walls of the cliff on the opposite or left bank of the Rio 
Verde. Owing to their proximity to the river, from which the preci- 
pice in which they are situated rises almost vertically, we were unable 
to camp under them, but remained on the right bank of the river, 
where a level plain extends for some distance, bordering the river and 
stretching back to the distant cliffs. We pitched our camp on a bluff, 
about 30 feet above the river, in full sight of the cave entrances, near 
a small stone inelosure which bears quite a close resemblance to a 
Tusayan shrine. 
Aboriginal people had evidently cultivated the plain where we 
camped, for there are many evidences of irrigating ditches and even 
walls of former houses. At present, however, this once highly culti- 
vated field lies unused, and is destitute of any valuable plants save 
the seanty grass which served to eke out the fodder of our horses. 
At the time of my visit the water of Rio Verde at this point was con- 
fined to a very narrow channel under the bluff near its right bank, but 
the appearance of its bed showed that in heavy freshets during the 
rainy season the water filled the interval between the base of the cliffs 
in which the cavate dwellings are situated and the bluffs which form 
the right bank. 
In visits to the caves it was necessary, on account of the site of the 
camp, to ford the stream each time and to climb to their level over 
fallen stones, a task of no slight difficulty. The water in places was 
shallow and the current only moderately rapid. Considering the fact 
that it furnished potable liquid for ourselves and horses, and that the 
line of trees which skirted the bluff was available for firewood, our 
camp compared well with many which we subsequently made in our 
summer’s explorations. 
