240 ABORIGINAL REMAINS IN VERDE VALLEY. [eth.a.vn.13 



wall there are distinct rectaugalar areas about the size of an ordiuaiy 

 pueblo room, i.e., about 8 by 10 aud 10 by 12 feet. 



In February, 1891, there was an exceptioual flood in Verde river due 

 to ])rolonged hard rain. The river in some jjlaces rose nearly 20 feet, 

 and at many points washed away its banks and changed the channel. 

 The river rose on two occasions ; during its first rise it cut away a con- 

 siderable section of the bank near a point known as Spanish wash, 

 about 3i miles below Verde, exposing an ancient ditch. During its 

 second rise it cut away still more of the bank and part of the ancient 

 ditch exposed a few days before. The river here makes a sharp bend 

 and flows a little north of east. Tiie modern American ditch, which 

 supplied all the bottom lands of the Verde west of the river, was ruined 

 in this vicinity by the tlood that uncovered the old ditch. Figure 299 

 is a map of the ancient ditch drawn in the field, with contours a foot 

 apart, and showing also a section, on a somewhat larger scale, drawn 

 through the points A Bon the map. Plate xxxvi is a view of the ditch 

 looking westward across the point where it has been washed away, 

 and plate xxxvii shows the eastern portion, where the ditch disappears 

 under the bluff. 



The bank of the river at this point consists of a low sandy beach, 

 from 10 to 50 feet wide, limited on the south by a vertical bluff' 10 to 

 12 feet high and composed of sandy alluvial soiK This bluff is the 

 edge of the bottom land before referred to, and on top is almost flat 

 and covered with a growth of mesquite, some of the trees reaching a 

 diameter of more than 3 inches. The American ditch, which is shown on 

 the map, runs along the top of the bluff skirting its edge, and is about 

 14 feet above the river at its ordinary stage. The edge of the bluff' is 

 shown on the map by a heavy black line. It will be observed that the 

 ancient ditch occurs on the lower flat, about 3 feet above the river at its 

 ordinary stage, and its remains extend over nearly 500 feet. The line, 

 however, is not a straight one, but has several decided bends. One of 

 these occurs at a point just west of that shown in the section. About 

 80 feet east of that point the ditch makes another turn southward, and 

 about 40 feet beyond strikes the face of the bluff' almost at i ight angles 

 and passes under it. 



About 50 feet north of the main ditch, at the point where it passes 

 under the bluff", there are the remains of another ditch, as shown on 

 the map. This second ditch was about a foot higher than the main 

 structure, or about 4 feet above the river; it runs nearly parallel with 

 it for 30 feet and then passes into the bluff' with a slight turn toward 

 the north. It is about the same size as the main ditch, but its sec- 

 tion is more evenly rounded. Figure 300 shows this ditch in section. 



As already stated, the American ditch is about 14 feet above the 

 river, while the ancient ditch is less than 4 feet above the water. This 

 decided difference in level indicates a marked difference in the charac- 

 ter of the river. The destruction of the modern ditch by tlie flood of 



