HARRINGTON 1 



PLACE-NAMES 195 



the southern slope of the Picuries range, we strike directly for 

 the west. ... the abrupt Sierra de Picuries, against which the 

 pueblo leans on the south, is covered with stately forests".' 



[8:91] Eng. United States Peak. 



Wheeler 2 gives the height as 10,734 feet. It appears to be the 

 highest peak of the Picuris Mountains [8:90]. 



[8:92] The old trail between Taos and Picuris. 



Bandelier^ evidently mentions this trail: '"There is a trail 

 leading from Taos to Picuries". Mr. Spinden* gives this infor- 

 mation: "This trail goes over 11,000 feet high; some people can 

 not stand it. The road attains a height of over 10,000 feet." 



[8:93] Picuris "Matsoita, meaning 'muy fragoso' 'very rough'".* 



[8:94] Picuris "Poiketha".* 



[8:95] Picuris "Kaket'hoa, 'the old pueblo' ".=^ Whether this name 

 means old pueblo in general or is the proper name of this ruin is 

 not clear. 



Dr. Spinden furnishes the following native description: "The 

 old pueblo is on the ridge between Pueblo and Penasco Kivers. 

 This old pueblo was established after the flood. It continued to 

 increase until Cortes came. The people of this pueblo went to 

 the east. But five families went west to California. Most of 

 the Indians of this pueblo went to Red River [8:19] and founded 

 a new pueblo close to a very high mountain. It was a very long 

 time ago when they were last heard of. There are old remains on 

 top of a flat ridge between Rio Pueblo and Rio Penasco about 1 

 mile below Smith's store. Bowlder foundations extend over a 

 large area. Pottery fragments are common. It is black and 

 white painted pottery with geometric designs. A common ele- 

 ment is standing triangles with parallel lines. Also incised black 

 pottery was found. The incisions are horizontal lines a quarter 

 to half an inch apart. Also a few samples of corrugated ware 

 were picked up. Remains of small grinding stones were fairly 

 common." 



[8:96] Picuris "Quta, lower bench of the tongue of land between 

 Pueblo Creek and Penasco Creek".'' 



"From these two mountains [22:9] [22:13] descend two stream- 

 lets, which run almost directly to the west, parallel with each 

 other, for many miles, divided by wooded ridges of small width ".^ 



I Bandelier, Final Report, pt. n, pp. 34-35, 1892. 



-V. S. Geographical Surve.vs west of the 100th meridian, parts of southern Colorado and northern 

 New Mexico, atlas sheet No. 69, 1873-1877. 

 3 Bandelier, op. cit., p. 34. 

 * Spinden, Picuris notes, MS., 19X0. 

 5 Bandelier, op. cit., p. 35. 



