AND THE CASAS GRANDES. 273 
feet in height and four feet long. When the mud 
‘became sufficiently hardened, the case was moved 
along and again filled, and so on until the whole edifice 
‘was completed. This is a rapid mode of building ; but 
the Mexicans seem never to have applied it to any pur- 
pose but the erection of fences or division-walls. The 
material of this building is the mud of the valley, mix- 
ed with gravel. The mud is very adhesive, and when 
dried in the sun, is very durable. The outer surface 
of the wall appears to have been plastered roughly ; but 
the inside, as well as the surface of all the inner walls, 
is hard finished. This is done with a composition of 
adobe, and is still as smooth as when first made, and 
has quite a polish. On one of the walls are rude 
figures, drawn with red lines, but no inscriptions. From 
the charred ends of the beams which remain in the 
walls, it is evident that the building was destroyed by 
fire. Some of the lintels which remain over the doors 
are formed of several sticks of wood, stripped of their 
bark, but showing no signs of a sharp instrument. The 
beams which supported the floors, were from four to 
-five inches: in diameter, placed about the same distance 
apart, and inserted deeply in the walls. i 
Hieroglyphic, 
Most of the apartments are connected by doors, 
besides which there are circular openings in the upper 
VOL. 11.—18 
& 
