26 



fianks of the Ute Mountain, and close upon, the divide between the 

 waters of the 3Iancos and the Dolores. It was our intention to have 

 camped here and worked up the surroundings at our leisure ; but, very 

 much to the surprise of our guide, the- spring was perfectly dry, not 

 even the least moisture remaining to tempt us to dig for it, for others be- 

 fore us had dug to the depth of three or four feet with no reward for their 

 labor. At its best, it could have been but a very insignificant source of 

 supply; the surplus oozing away through a few yards of wiry grass 

 into the dry sand. The basin of the spring lay iu quite a depression, 

 that had evidently been excavated for the purpose. A well may have 

 existed ; for it cannot be reasonably supposed that the very large'^settle- 

 ments which at one time existed in the neighborhood were supplied 

 from it in anywhere near its present condition. The nearest running- 

 water was 12 or 13 miles away, and none of the surroundings indicated 

 that this spring ever had any very considerable volume of water. Imme- 

 diately adjoining the spring, on the right, as we face it from below, is 

 the ruin of a great massive structure of some kind, about 100 feet 

 square in exterior dimensions : a portion only of the wall upon the 

 northern face remaining in its original position. The debris of the ruin 

 now forms a great mound of crumbling rock, from 12 to 20 feet in height, 

 overgrown with artimisia, but showing clearly, however, its rectangular 

 structure, adjusted approximately to the four points of the compass. 

 Inside this square was a circle, about 60 feet in diamete, deeply depress- 

 ed in the center, and walled. The space between the square and" the circle 

 appeared, upon a hasty examination, to have been filled in solidly with 

 a sort of rubble-masonry. Cross-walls were noticed in two places; but 

 whether they were to strengthen the walls or had divided apartments 

 could only be conjectured. That portion of the outer wall remaining stand- 

 ing was some 40 feet in length and 15 in height. The stones were 

 dressed to a uniform size and finish. Upon the'same level as this ruin, 

 and extending back, I should think, half a mile, were grouped line after 

 line of foundations and mounds, the great mass of which was of stone, 

 but not one remaining upon another. All the subdivisions were plainly 

 marked, so that one might, with a little care, count every room or build- 

 ing in the settlement. Below the above group, some two hundred 

 yards distant, and communicating by indistinct lines of debris, was 

 another great wall, inclosing a space of about 200 feet square. Only 

 a small portion was well enough preserved to enable us to judge, with 

 any accuracy, as to its character and dimensions; the greater portion 

 consisting of large ridges flattened down so much as to ineasure some 30 

 or more feet across the base, and 5 or 6 feet iu height. This better pre- 

 served portion was some 50 feet in length, 7 or 8 feet in height, and 20 

 feet thick, the two exterior surfaces of well-dressed and evenly-laid 

 courses, and the center packed iu solidly with rubble-masonry,*^look- 

 ing entirely different from those rooms which had been filled with 

 debris, though it is difficult to assign any reason for its being so mas- 

 sively constructed. It was only a portion of a system extending half a 

 mile out into the plains, of much less importance, however, and now 

 only indistinguishable mounds. The town built about this spring 

 was nearly a square mile in extent, the larger and more enduring build- 

 ings in the center, while all about were scattered and grouped the rem- 

 nants of smaller structures, comprising the suburbs. 



It was sunset by the time we had secured the photographic views 

 necessary to illustrate the leading features of this gToup, A camp had 

 to be found, a thing very easily done in most localities, but here one 

 very important constituent was wanting: sage-brush and grass abounded, 



