The far more numerous class of ruius occupying like mesas and the 

 promontory points consist of a solid mass of small rectangular rooms, 

 arranged without any appearance of order, conforming to the irregular- 

 ities of the surface upon which they are bailt, and covering, usually, all 

 of the available space chosen for their site. All are extremely old, 

 tumbled into indefinite ridges 5 or 6 feet high, and as broad, with the 

 stones partially crumbled into sand, and all covered with sage-brush, 

 greasewood and junipers. They occupied every commanding and avail- 

 able spur of the mesas, usually so placed in the bends as to afford a clear 

 lookout for considerable distances up and down the cation. They resem- 

 ble in this respect the sites chosen by the Moquis in building their 

 villages; but we are not able to trace the resemblance further, from the 

 extremely aged and ruinous state in which these remains are found. 

 Between these fortresses and on the level bottom-lands, generally close 

 up to the bluff upon either side, are occasional smaller ruins, resembling 

 those at the dry camp. In connection with these a peculiar feature is 

 shown in Plate 20, Fig. 2. At the foot of one of the promontory towns a 

 low bench, tongue-shaped, and only about 10 feet above the valley, runs out 

 from the mesa 200 feet in length and half as broad, through the center 

 of which runs a wall its entire length ; a portion of it is composed of the 

 large upright rocks shown in the sketch, the largest standing seven feet 

 above the surface and evidently extending some distance below, in order 

 to be retained so firmly in their places. There are only seven of these 

 standing, placed about 5 feet apart, the rest of the wall-line being com- 

 posed of a low ridge of loose rock extending up to a mass Of old ruins 

 at the foot of the bluff. One side of the space divided by this wall is 

 filled with a great pile of rocks arranged in irregular lines inclosing 

 areas from 20 to 50 feet in diameter, the whole indicating a very con- 

 siderable structure. 



Grouped among the lower end of these towns were a number of the 

 small cliff-houses ; a regular colony of them occurring at the first bend of 

 the AA^est Montezuma, about a dozen miles above its junction with the 

 east fork. An exceedingly well-preserved and peculiar one is shown in 

 rig. 1 of Plate 18. A block of sandstone setting on the edge of a mesa 

 bench 50 feet above the valley has a deep oval hole worn in it, proba- 

 bly by natural agencies, which is nearly entirely occupied by a very 

 neatly-built little house 10 feet long, 6 high, and 5 deep. A space at one 

 end is reserved just large enough to serve as a jDlatlorm to enter from. 



Below the bend in which these cliff-houses occur, the Montezuma 

 loses its canon character and spreads out into a wide, barren valley, 

 thickly covered with tall sage-brush, and the wash lined with large cot- 

 tonwoods. The mesas upon either hand dwindle down considerably in 

 height and abruptness, and seldom contain ruins. The large square 

 buildings on the bottom-lands, however, are important features, and 

 were it not for their great number, and the exceeding iudefiniteness of 

 their outlines, we might linger longer and describe each in detail. Over 

 all are found immense quantities of broken pottery, many examples of 

 which are shown in the accompanying plates. Arrow-points and like 

 chipped work were especially numerous, and a great many of small size 

 and great delicacy of finish were found. 



It should have been mentioned that running water occurs in the 

 Montezuma at the bend spoken of, and a band of Weminuche Utes, who 

 now occupy these canons, have considerable corn planted there. It is 

 not impossible that formerly water was constant throughout the whole 

 length of the region occupied by these ruins. Below the junction of 

 the east and west forks of the Montezuma, the valley must have been 



