MiNPELEFF] MEASUREMENTS OF THE RUIN. 309 



have inferred that the walls leaned considerably away from the perpen- 

 dicular. This inference has been strengthened, in some cases, by an 

 examination of the interior, for the inner wall surface, while finely 

 finished, is not by any means a plane surface, beins' generally concave 

 in each room; yet a line drawn from floor level to floor level would be 

 very nearly vertical. The building was constructed by crude methods, 

 thoroughly aboriginal in character, and there is no uniformity in its 

 measurements. The walls, even in the same room, are not of even 

 thickness, the floor joists were seldom on a straight line, and measure- 

 ments made at sinnlar places, e. g., the two ends of a room, seldom 

 agree. 



A series of jirecise measurements gives the following results: Out- 

 side eastern wall, at level 3 feet above center of depressed area adjoin- 

 ing the ruin on the east, 59 feet; western wall at same level, 59 feet 

 1 inch; northern and southern walls, at same level, 42 and 43 feet re- 

 spectively. These measurements are between points formed by the 

 intersectionof the wall lines; the northeastern and southeastern corners 

 having fallen, the actual length of standing wall is less. At the level 

 stated the northern wall measures but 34 feet 4 inches, and the south- 

 ern wall 3G feet 10 inches. A similar irregularity is found in the 

 interior measurements of rooms. The middle room is marked by an 

 exceptional departure from regularity in shape and dimensions. Both 

 the east and west walls are bowed eastward, making the western wall 

 convex and the eastern wall concave in reference to the room. 



Precise measurements of the middle room at the second floor level, 8 

 feet above the base previously stated, are as follows : Eastern side, 24 

 feet 8 J inches; western side, 24 feet 2 inches; northern side, 9 feet 3^ 

 inches; southern side, 9 feet 1 inch. The eastern room is a little more 

 regular, but there is a difference of 11 inches between the measurements 

 of the northern and southern ends. A similar difference is found in the 

 western room, amounting there to C inches. The northern and southern 

 rooms do not afford as good bases for comjiarison, as a corner is missing 

 in each; but measurements to a point where the interior wall surfaces 

 would intersect if prolonged, show variations of from 6 inches to a foot. 

 The statement that the ruin exhibits exceptional skill in construction 

 on the part of the builders, is not, therefore, supported by facts. 



DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 



The Casa Grande ruin is often referred to as an adobe structure. 

 Adobe construction, if we limit the word to its proper meaning, con- 

 sists of the use of molded brick, dried in the sun but not baked. 

 Adobe, as thus defined, is very largely used throughout the southwest, 

 more than nine out of ten houses erected by the Mexican population 

 and many of those erected by the Pueblo Indians being so constructed; 

 but, in the experience of the writer, it is never found in the older ruins, 

 although seen to a limited extent in ruins known to belong to a period 



