﻿16 
  REPOKT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  hottest 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  in 
  a 
  region 
  noted 
  for 
  the 
  intensity 
  of 
  the 
  

   scorching 
  rays 
  which 
  radiate 
  from 
  its 
  bare 
  plateau 
  of 
  white 
  sandstone. 
  

   The 
  average 
  temperature 
  throughout 
  the 
  day 
  in 
  the 
  sun 
  was 
  140°. 
  Tbe 
  

   temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  river, 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  the 
  rapid 
  current, 
  

   was 
  88°, 
  and 
  that 
  was 
  the 
  coldest 
  water 
  to 
  be 
  had. 
  

  

  The 
  Rio 
  De 
  Chelly, 
  for 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  about 
  thirty-five 
  miles 
  above 
  its 
  

   mouth, 
  is 
  so 
  cafioned, 
  and 
  the 
  wash 
  (for 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  is 
  per- 
  

   fectly 
  dry 
  the 
  greater 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  year) 
  cuts 
  from 
  wall-rock 
  to 
  wall- 
  

   rock 
  so 
  frequently 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  travel 
  up 
  it 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  bed, 
  

   and 
  that 
  is 
  so 
  tortuous 
  and 
  rocky 
  in 
  places 
  that 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  difficult, 
  if 
  

   not 
  impossible. 
  Making 
  a 
  detour 
  to 
  the 
  right, 
  the 
  ttrst 
  opening 
  into 
  

   the 
  caiion 
  was 
  reached 
  ten 
  miles 
  above. 
  Here, 
  an 
  interesting 
  and 
  

   extensive 
  ruin 
  was 
  found, 
  which 
  was 
  so 
  well 
  preserved 
  that 
  it 
  seemed 
  to 
  

   have 
  been 
  vacated 
  less 
  than 
  a 
  score 
  of 
  years, 
  and 
  so 
  near 
  like 
  the 
  work- 
  

   manship 
  and 
  manner 
  of 
  building 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  Moquis 
  that 
  it 
  would 
  

   not 
  be 
  difficult 
  to 
  imagine 
  them 
  lurking 
  among 
  the 
  deserted 
  rooms. 
  

   Thi 
  rnin 
  was 
  situated 
  in 
  a 
  long 
  cave-like 
  bench, 
  or 
  mesa, 
  running 
  along 
  

   the 
  face 
  of 
  a 
  perpendicular 
  bluff 
  some 
  fifty 
  feet 
  above 
  its 
  base, 
  and 
  a 
  

   total 
  length 
  of 
  nearly 
  three 
  hundred 
  yards. 
  The 
  town 
  was 
  irregularly, 
  

   but 
  compactly 
  built, 
  conforming 
  to 
  the 
  rock 
  upon 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  placed, 
  

   the 
  rooms 
  arranged 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  row 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  way, 
  but 
  at 
  either 
  end 
  

   bunching 
  up 
  to 
  two 
  and 
  three 
  deep. 
  A 
  ground-plan 
  shows 
  seventy-five 
  

   rooms, 
  with 
  many 
  little 
  irregular 
  " 
  cubby-holes", 
  with 
  a 
  total 
  length 
  of 
  

   548 
  feet. 
  A 
  few 
  yards 
  farther 
  to 
  the 
  right, 
  a 
  half-dozen 
  detached 
  build- 
  

   ings, 
  cisterns, 
  and 
  reservoirs 
  yet 
  remain 
  perfect 
  enough 
  to 
  show 
  their 
  

   purpose. 
  In 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  mass 
  was 
  a 
  well-preserved 
  circular 
  apart- 
  

   ment, 
  a 
  little 
  below 
  the 
  general 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  others, 
  that 
  was 
  probably 
  an 
  

   estufa. 
  The 
  goat-corrals 
  were 
  inside 
  between 
  the 
  houses 
  and 
  the 
  bluff. 
  

   Digging 
  beneath 
  the 
  debris, 
  several 
  pieces 
  of 
  finely-preserved 
  potterj^ 
  

   were 
  found, 
  the 
  same 
  finely 
  ornamented 
  and 
  glazed 
  ware 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  

   fragments 
  are 
  universally 
  scattered 
  over 
  the 
  whole 
  country. 
  Beneath 
  

   the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  town, 
  there 
  was 
  found 
  in 
  one 
  group 
  some 
  whole 
  jars 
  of 
  

   about 
  two 
  gallons 
  capacity 
  each, 
  of 
  the 
  gray 
  indented 
  ware, 
  but 
  they 
  

   were 
  too 
  fragile 
  to 
  transport 
  upon 
  j^ack-mules. 
  Besides 
  the 
  pottery, 
  

   many 
  stone 
  implements 
  and 
  arrow-points 
  were 
  unearthed. 
  Another 
  

   detour 
  to 
  the 
  right, 
  this 
  time 
  over 
  an 
  elevated 
  lilateau 
  of 
  white 
  sand- 
  

   stone, 
  across 
  which 
  were 
  drifted 
  great 
  dunes 
  of 
  white 
  sand, 
  brought 
  the 
  

   j)arty 
  to 
  the 
  famous, 
  so-called, 
  diamond-fields 
  of 
  Arizona, 
  about 
  which 
  

   there 
  was 
  such 
  an 
  excitement 
  in 
  1872. 
  Lingering 
  on 
  its 
  bare 
  red 
  plain, 
  

   upon 
  which 
  the 
  sun 
  beat 
  with 
  redoubled 
  intensity, 
  only 
  long 
  enough 
  to 
  

   gather 
  about 
  a 
  pint 
  of 
  garnets, 
  which 
  were 
  of 
  excellent 
  quality 
  and 
  

   very 
  abundant, 
  camp 
  was 
  made 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  a 
  side-canon, 
  which 
  came 
  

   in 
  from 
  the 
  west, 
  and 
  was 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Caiion 
  Bonito 
  Chiquito. 
  An- 
  

   otber 
  group 
  of 
  ruins 
  occurred 
  here, 
  not 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  town, 
  but 
  in 
  scattered 
  

   houses, 
  both 
  up 
  and 
  down 
  the 
  De 
  Chelly 
  and 
  the 
  Bonito. 
  A 
  marked 
  

   feature 
  was 
  great 
  reservoirs, 
  in 
  which 
  there 
  was, 
  even 
  now, 
  abundant 
  

  

  