284 RUINS OF PUEBLO BONITO. 



into the lower story. A hand ladder is also 

 used as a means of communication with the 

 second story. 



Even allowing that the traditions upon which 

 Clavigero founded his theoretical deductions 

 are vague and uncertain, there is sufficient 

 evidence in the ruins that still exist to show 

 that those regions were once inhabited by a 

 far more enlightened people than are now to 

 be found amonij the aborigines. Of such 

 character are the ruins of Fuehh Bonito, m 

 the direction of Navajo, on the borders of the 

 Cordilleras ; the houses being generally built 

 of slabs of fine-grit sand-stone, a material ut- 

 terly unknown in the present architecture of 

 the North. Although some of these structures 

 are very massive and spacious, they are gene- 

 rally cut up into small, irregular rooms, many 

 of which yet remain entire, being still cover- 

 ed with the vigas or joists, remaining nearly 

 sound under the azotcas of earth ; and yet 

 their age is such that there is no tradition 

 wliich gives any account of their origin. But 

 there have been no images or sculptured 

 work of any kind found about them. -Be- 

 sides these, many other ruins (though none 

 so perfect) are scattered over the plains and 

 among the mountains. W^hat is very remarK- 

 able is, that a portion of them are situated at 

 a great distance from any water ; so that the 

 inhabitants must have depended entirely up; 

 on ram, as is the case with the Pueblo oi 

 Acoma at the present day. 



The general appearance of Pueblo Bonito, 



