﻿RHODA.] 
  THE 
  SOUTHEASTERN 
  DISTRICT. 
  321 
  

  

  with 
  its 
  bluffs 
  and 
  ridges 
  of 
  sandstone, 
  fills 
  many 
  degrees 
  of 
  the 
  horizon. 
  

   The 
  settlement 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  three 
  distinct 
  villages, 
  each 
  several 
  miles 
  

   from 
  the 
  others, 
  two 
  situated 
  on 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  and 
  one 
  ta 
  

   the 
  east 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  open 
  table 
  at 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  timber. 
  

  

  When 
  we 
  arrived, 
  on 
  the 
  last 
  day 
  of 
  July, 
  there 
  were 
  many 
  hundred 
  

   acres 
  of 
  wheat 
  under 
  cultivation, 
  and 
  the 
  grain 
  looked 
  well, 
  but 
  it 
  was- 
  

   only 
  beginning 
  to 
  head 
  out. 
  Water 
  for 
  irrigation 
  was 
  brought 
  by- 
  

   ditches 
  from 
  the 
  mountain-streams. 
  The 
  houses 
  were 
  nearly 
  all 
  of 
  

   adobe. 
  The 
  eastern 
  village 
  was 
  built 
  on 
  the 
  pueblo 
  plan, 
  having 
  the 
  

   houses 
  placed 
  close 
  together, 
  all 
  facing 
  inwardly 
  on 
  an 
  open 
  space, 
  

   which 
  was 
  neutral 
  ground, 
  on 
  which 
  dogs, 
  cats, 
  chickens, 
  horses, 
  sheep, 
  

   goats, 
  and 
  Mexicans, 
  of 
  all 
  sizes 
  and 
  ages, 
  might 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  great 
  num- 
  

   bers. 
  Utes 
  and 
  Apaches 
  were 
  associated 
  with 
  their 
  neighbors. 
  The 
  

   dress 
  of 
  the 
  Mexican 
  children 
  usually 
  consisted 
  of 
  a 
  dirty 
  shirt, 
  but 
  

   many 
  were 
  entirely 
  naked. 
  The 
  post-of&ce 
  was 
  situated 
  in 
  the 
  southern 
  

   village, 
  which 
  went 
  by 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Nutrites. 
  Leaving 
  this 
  point 
  we 
  

   took 
  our 
  course 
  northward 
  and 
  westward 
  up 
  a 
  long 
  meadow-valley, 
  then 
  

   past 
  large 
  bands 
  of 
  sheep 
  down 
  to 
  Navajo. 
  Thus 
  far 
  a 
  plain 
  trail 
  leads 
  

   on 
  its 
  way 
  to 
  Pagosa 
  Springs. 
  Camping 
  on 
  the 
  Navajo, 
  which 
  was 
  a 
  

   large 
  creek 
  at 
  that 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  we 
  ascended 
  a 
  high 
  plateau 
  west 
  

   of 
  the 
  stream. 
  On 
  the 
  east 
  it 
  is 
  bordered 
  by 
  great 
  bluffs. 
  Being 
  of 
  

   volcanic 
  rock 
  and 
  quite 
  elevated, 
  we 
  found 
  fine 
  water, 
  grass, 
  and 
  timber 
  

   on 
  the 
  top. 
  This 
  table 
  is 
  about 
  four 
  miles 
  in 
  length 
  from 
  north 
  to 
  south, 
  

   but 
  toward 
  the 
  west 
  it 
  falls 
  considerably 
  and 
  is 
  cut 
  up 
  by 
  many 
  deep 
  

   gorges. 
  

  

  Following 
  down 
  the 
  Navajo 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  through 
  a 
  narrow 
  canon, 
  we 
  

   left 
  the 
  stream 
  and 
  ascended 
  the 
  slope 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  it, 
  and 
  soon 
  

   struck 
  the 
  direct 
  trail 
  from 
  Tierra 
  Amarilla 
  to 
  the 
  San 
  Juan. 
  Below 
  

   this 
  point 
  the 
  Navajo 
  runs 
  through 
  shallow 
  but 
  very 
  rugged 
  canons, 
  so 
  

   that 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  impossible 
  to 
  follow 
  down 
  it. 
  The 
  Indian 
  trail 
  passes 
  

   down 
  a 
  wash 
  several 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  Navajo. 
  Taking 
  this 
  course, 
  

   we 
  crossed 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  Eiver 
  and 
  traveled 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  

   Piedra, 
  making 
  stations 
  along 
  the 
  route. 
  We 
  found 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  

   scraps 
  of 
  pottery, 
  both 
  in 
  the 
  narrow 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  

   sandstone 
  points 
  above 
  it. 
  In 
  some 
  places 
  dim 
  basins 
  on 
  the 
  high 
  

   points 
  marked 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  extinct 
  ruins. 
  In 
  one 
  place 
  we 
  found 
  a: 
  

   child's 
  skull 
  protruding 
  above 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  soil, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  much 
  

   decayed. 
  

  

  From 
  our 
  camp 
  on 
  the 
  Piedra 
  we 
  rode 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  point 
  where 
  the 
  

   river 
  enters 
  a 
  close 
  canon, 
  in 
  the 
  sandstone. 
  Here 
  we 
  made 
  station 
  70, 
  

   on 
  a 
  low 
  sandstone 
  table 
  near 
  the 
  river. 
  On 
  this 
  point 
  we 
  found 
  great 
  

   quantities 
  of 
  painted 
  and 
  unpainted 
  pottery, 
  all 
  very 
  bright. 
  The 
  pot- 
  

   tery 
  above 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Piedra 
  was 
  much 
  tarnished. 
  This 
  is 
  due 
  

   to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  rainy 
  belt 
  is 
  very 
  sharply 
  defined 
  on 
  its 
  southern 
  

   border. 
  This 
  line 
  passes 
  about 
  midway 
  between 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  

   Piedra 
  and 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Nutria. 
  Above 
  this 
  the 
  rain-fall 
  is 
  very 
  heavy, 
  

   but 
  below 
  it 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  scarcely 
  appreciable. 
  Above 
  and 
  below 
  

   the 
  Piedra, 
  on 
  the 
  San 
  Juan, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  narrow 
  valley, 
  i)robably 
  15 
  

   miles 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  in 
  breadth 
  ranging 
  from 
  one-quarter 
  to 
  two 
  miless. 
  

   At 
  present 
  it 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  sage-brush 
  and 
  cactus, 
  but 
  with 
  irrigation 
  

   it 
  would 
  undoubtedly 
  produce 
  good 
  crops. 
  The 
  junction 
  of 
  the 
  Piedra, 
  

   and 
  San 
  Juan 
  is 
  about 
  0,000 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  sea. 
  

  

  Having 
  finished 
  this 
  region, 
  we 
  returned 
  up 
  the 
  San 
  Juan, 
  passing 
  along 
  

  

  the 
  narrow 
  valley, 
  and 
  finding 
  relics 
  of 
  the 
  ancient 
  settlers 
  even 
  above 
  

  

  the 
  Navajo. 
  The 
  sandstone 
  bluffs 
  continued, 
  but 
  the 
  caiion 
  was 
  so 
  wide 
  

  

  as 
  to 
  offer 
  no 
  obstruction 
  to 
  our 
  march. 
  At 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  nearly 
  10 
  

  

  21 
  & 
  s 
  

  

  