432 COLLECTIONS OF 1880. 



beams were found sticking there, which, in their sheltered position and 

 in this dry climate, may have been preserved for centuries. 



Upon the top of the mesa of which these clifls are the exposed sides 

 we found the ruins of large circular buildings made of square stones 

 8 by 12 inches in size. The walls of some of these structures remain 

 standing to the height of ten or twelve feet, and show that from four to 

 five hundred people can find room within each inclosure. One of these 

 buildings was rectangular and two were round structures. The latter 

 were about 100 and 150 feet in diameter, the rectangular one about 300 

 feet square. Many small square rooms were constructed in the interior 

 from large cut bricks of the tufa of which the bluffs are composed. 

 These rooms all oi>eued toward the center of the large inclosure, which 

 has but one general doorway. From these ruins we secured great 

 quantities of pottery, arrow and spear heads, knives, grindingstones, 

 arrow-smoothers, and many of the small flint adzes, which were undoubt- 

 edly used for making the blocks for the structures on the mesa and for 

 excavating the cave dwellings. Among the debris in the dwellings are 

 found corncobs and other evidences of the food used by the inhabitants. 

 This certainly indicates that the people who occupied these singular 

 dwellings were agricultural. 



The faces of some of the more prominent cliffs contained as many as 

 three rows of chambers one above the other; the debris at the foot, some- 

 times 200 feet deep, covered up at least two rows of these chambers. 



Along the edges of the cliffs and over the rocky surface of the mesa 

 are winding foot-paths from 3 to 10 inches deep, worn by the feet of the 

 inhabitants. Some of these paths showed perceptible foot-prints where 

 it was inconvenient for those following the path to do otherwise than 

 tread in the footsteps of their predecessors. 



In our limited investigations we were unable to discover any evidence 

 of burial customs. No graves could be found, and nothing of human 

 remains. 



The southern portion of this area seems to have been most densely 

 populated. Some of the protected walls in the neighborhood retain 

 hieroglyphics in abundance. These resemble the picture writing of the 

 present Indians of that I'egiou. Many interesting specimens of the art 

 of this ancient people can be seen in the images of wild animals scat- 

 tered over various spots. Many of them are cut in full relief out of the 

 tufa and are always in some natural attitjude, and can ulways be identi- 

 fied where the weather has not destroyed the original form. The most 

 prominent are two mountain lions, side by side and life size. 



Further examinations will reveal much more of value and interest in 

 connection with this very inviting locality. 



Mr. Galbraith, who accompanied my party, spent some time examin- 

 ing this region and made collections here. 



The next pueblo visited was San Ildefonso, about five miles below 

 Santa Clara, on the opposite bank of the Eio Grande. But few speci- 



