430 REPOET UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



Below the bend in wbicli tbese cliff-bouses occur, the Montezuma 

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

 thickly covered with tall sagebrush, and the wash is lined with large 

 cottonwoods. 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 indefluiteness of their 

 outlines, we might linger longer and describe each in detail. About all 

 are found immense quantities of broken pottery, many examples of 

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

 chipped w^ork 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 caiions, 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 

 always hopelessly barren and dry, for not a vestige of any ruin occurs. 

 At its mouth and along the San Juan, as we have noticed, they appear 

 at once again in considerable numbers. 



Our investigations closed with a side trip up into some of the sterile 

 gorges between the two forks of the Montezuma, but without any results 

 worth especial mention. A few small cliff-bouses occurred, and a few 

 scattered remains about the open lowlands. Upon the tops of the mesas 

 in this vicinity, as well as upon those between the Montezuma and the 

 Hovenweep, were old remains of towns. A glance at the accompanying 

 map will give some idea of their distribution, although those about the 

 head of the West Montezuma are only located approximately, in the 

 absence of any precise notes of its topography. 



