FEWKES] EXCAVATIONS AT CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA 323 



side and 306 feet on the opposite side. 1 It is 221 feet on the north 

 side ; 204 feet on the south. The large enclosed building is composed 

 of many rooms, approximately 140 feet on the east by 147 on the 

 west sides ; 69 feet on the north, and 87 feet on the south. Its north- 

 east angle is about 37 feet from the east wall, and its southeast corner 

 not far from 49 feet from the same side. The main mound has 

 many rooms, is about 20 feet high, flat on top, and visible from a 

 considerable distance. The north wall of the main building is about 

 18 feet from the north wall of the compound. The Casa Blanca 

 mound is the largest within 30 miles of Casa Grande. 



On or near the right bank of the Gila there are likewise several 

 artificial mounds between the limits above mentioned. This series, 

 beginning near the Santa Fe Railroad station, is represented by cer- 

 tain mounds near Blackwater and at Santa Anna, opposite Sacaton 

 and beyond. The ruins near the Santa Fe station were probably 

 known as far back as Kino's time, being those mentioned in the fol- 

 lowing quotation from Mange's diary. 2 



"On the 18th we continued," writes this author, "westward across 

 an extensive plain, barren and without pasture, and at a distance of 

 five leagues we discovered, on the other side of the river, other 

 houses and buildings. Sergeant Juan Escalante and two compan- 

 ions swam across to reconnoitre, and reported that the walls were 

 two yards thick, but all of ancient workmanship. We continued 

 westward, and after making four more leagues we arrived at noon 

 at the Casas Grandes, in which Father Font said mass, having till 

 then kept his fast." 



The narrative that follows the above quotation contains a good 

 description, with measurements, of the main building, showing that 

 Casa Grande was four leagues west of the position of the command 

 when Escalante left it. 3 Counting- four leagues east from Casa 



1 Some of the walls project a little above the ground on top of the mound, 

 and the same is true of the southern wall of the compound. 



2 Documentos para Historia de Mexico, Cuarta Serie I, 250, Mexico, 1856. 

 Ortega. Apostolicos afanes de la Compania Jesus escrito por un Padre de la 

 misma sagrada religion de su provincia de Mexico, Barcelona, 1754, p. 253. 



'Apparently Font followed the Santa Cruz River down to Uturituc (Tutiri- 

 tucar), near Blackwater, leaving Casa Grande to the right. From Uturituc he 

 visited the old ruin, Casa Grande. His party had apparently crossed the moun- 

 tains near Picacho Peak by the pass through which now runs the Southern 

 Pacific Railroad, stopping at "Aquituno" or Akutcin, a Pima settlement in- 

 habited up to within a few years. Picacho is called by the Pimas Takom, 

 which appears in some of the older narratives as Quitcak, Ttacca, or Mt. 

 Taceo. About it are several ruins, one of which is supposed to be Aquituno. 



