34 



about 150 feet liigh, with hardly a seam ou its surface, over which has 

 been cut a series of steps. Upon the pile of debris at the left are the 

 ruins of some structure that had been built just beneath the line of foot- 

 steps, and was evidently placed there as an api)roach to them, as they only 

 came down to within about 12 feet of the bottom. The large slab of rock 

 lying against the bluif on the right was separated from it about 3 feet at 

 the base, making a long, narrow passage-way, that could also be reached 

 through the small opening between the rocks on the right ; from within 

 this place it was not difiBcult to reach the round bowlder lodged above, 

 from which starts another line of steps. The surface of the rock has 

 worn away to such an extent as to nearly entirely obliterate some of 

 the holes, rendering ascent, at the present time, impossible ; and as the 

 bluff was inaccessible for two or three miles upon either side, we did 

 not reach the top or see from below any evidences of building. 



Our trail over the bare plateau finally brought us down to the San Juan 

 again,jnst at the junction of Epsom Creek with it, and but a short distance 

 above the mouth of the Eio De Ohelly, where we found a pleasant park- 

 like valley, about a mile in length, bordered by groves of cottonwood and 

 willows. The beds of Epsom Creek and the Kio De Chelly were both 

 perfectly dry, like all the tributaries of San Juan west of the Mancos, 

 although in the latter were indications of occasional flooding, some of 

 the deeper pockets retaining shallow pools of a very red, muddy water. 

 Upon every side — except where the broad valley of Epsom Creek opened 

 northwardly, with the deep blue summits of the Sierra Abajo appear- 

 ing in the vista — steep rugged blufls of bare red rock rose up, weath- 

 ering occasionally into sharp needle-like pinnacles, discernible for long 

 distances in any direction. The San Juan emerged from a considerable 

 canon at the head of this little valley but to sink into a still greater one 

 below. The low stage of water encouraged us to explore this lower caiion 

 for a short distance, which we could readily do upon our riding-animals, 

 the indefatigable little Mexico, our pack-mule, carrying tbe photo- 

 graphic instruments. We penetrated its exceedingly tortuous course 

 about ten miles, meeting no serious obstruction, and it is likely could 

 have gone much farther. The walls rose abruptly, generally perpen- 

 dicularly, upon either side, from 1,000 to 2,000 feet in height, but always 

 with a bench at the bottom bordering the stream, covered with a rough 

 talus. Former floods and the drifting sands from the plateau above 

 have filled up the interstices in the rocky mass, smoothing the way over 

 them very considerably. 



In the walls of the caiion of the Chelly, where it opens into the park, 

 are several great circulat" caves, averaging 100 feet in diameter, in which 

 were the remains of walls and houses, but all very much dilapidated. 

 Upon a ledge on the opposite side of the canon was a row of four 

 houses, not easily reached, one of which still retained a roof; and in an- 

 other case, a shelter was formed by inclining a row of sticks across the 

 opening of the cave, with the outside thickly plastered with clay. It 

 had every appearance of being a more recent structure, yet it was in 

 the midst of much older -looking ones, and in an almost, if not quite, 

 inaccessible position. 



Over the level surface of the valley the older form of ruins, indicated 

 principally by broken pottery, occurred in several places, and also, on 

 a bench bordering the San Juan, just above Epsom Creek, were a num- ' 

 ber of small squares arranged in circles, that we have heretofore assum- 

 ed to be places of sepulture. 



In going southward, up the Chelly, we find it necessary to avoid the 

 cailons and make a detour to the right, crossing a rugged depression in 



