FEWKES] RUINS IN MONTEZUMA WELL 547 
not much higher than the water level, there are fragments of masonry, 
as if structures of some kind had formerly been erected in it. I have 
regarded this cave rather as a place of religious rites than of tormer 
habitation, possibly a place of retreat for ancient priests when prayin g 
for rain or moisture, or a shrine for the deposit of prayer offerings to 
rain or water gods. 
Several isolated cliff dwellings are built at different levels in the 
sides of the cliffs. One of the best of these is diametrically opposite 
the cave mentioned above, a few feet below the rim of the depression. 
While this house was entered with little difficulty, there were others 
which I did not venture to visit. 
The accompanying illustration (plate xcv) gives an idea of the gen- 
eral appearance of one of these cliff houses of Montezuma Well. It is 
built under an overhanging archway of rock in a deep recess, with 
masonry on three sides. The openings are shown, one of which over- 
looks the spring; the other is an entrance at one side. The face of 
masonry on the front is not plastered, and if it was formerly rough cast 
the mud has been worn away, leaving the stones exposed. The side 
wall, which has been less exposed to the elements, still retains the plas- 
tering, which is likewise found on the inner walls where it is quite 
smooth in places. 
The number of cliff rooms in the walls of the well is small and their 
capacity, if used as dwellings, very limited. There are, however, ruins 
of pueblos of some size on the edge of the well. 
One of the largest of these, shown in the accompanying illustration 
(plate XCvt), is situated on the neck of land separating the well from 
the valley of Beaver creek. This pueblo was rectangular in form, of 
considerable size, built of stones, and although at present almost demol- 
ished, shows perfectly the walls of former rooms. Fragments of ancient 
pottery would seem to indicate that the people who once inhabited this 
pueblo were in no respect different from other sedentary occupants of 
Verde valley. From their housetops they had a wide view over the 
creek on one side and the spring on the other, defending, by the site of 
their village, the one trail by which descent to the well was possible. 
The remarkable geological character of Montezuma Well, and the 
spring within it, would have profoundly impressed itself on the folklore 
of any people of agricultural bent who lived in its neighborhood after 
emigrating to more arid lands. About a month after my visit to this 
remarkable spring I described the place to some of the old priests at 
Walpi and showed them sketches of the ruins. These priests seemed 
to have legendary knowledge of a place somewhat like it where they 
said the Great Plumed Snake had one of his numerous houses. They 
reminded me of a legend they had formerly related to me of how the 
Snake arose from a great cavity or depression in the ground, and how, 
they had heard, water boiled out of that hole into a neighboring river. 
The Hopi have personal knowledge of Montezuma Well, for many of 
