EUINED PUEBLO OX THE CHAMA. 363 



canons, but subsequent to the occupation of the village. The town * was 

 built in the shape of a double L, having an open area, or court-yard, on 

 both sides, and with bastions or towers at the corners, one defending the 

 western canon-approach and the other the only entrance to the town. The 

 front wall was 40 feet in length ; the side wall, 50 feet ; first rear wall, 30 

 feet; a prolongation of this, 40 feet; second rear wall, 80 feet; eastern side 

 wall, 50 feet; the bastions being 10 feet in diameter; the estufa, or council- 

 chamber, 20 feet. These walls had been built double, and the dwellings 

 were between, divided up into spaces about 10 feet square. Upon the sup- 

 position that each of the spaces were occupied by one family consisting of, 

 say, five individuals, and that the structure was two stories in height, we 

 may imagine the population of this town to have been in the neighborhood 

 of 250. If the houses consisted of five stories, like some of the pueblo vil- 

 lages of the present day, the population was doubtless much greater. The 

 stones composing the walls are black basaltic lava, and have probably been 

 brought from a considerable distance, as we were unable to discover any 

 large deposit of this material in the vicinity. At the present time these 

 walls are but 18 inches in height, and are gradually crumbling down, but 

 enough debris is scattered about to show that an enormous quantity of the 

 stone was used in the construction. 



Interspersed with the stones are great quantities of broken pottery, 

 exhibiting the same peculiarities of markings and colorations as the frag- 

 ments found in other ancient dwelling-places in this part of New Mexico. 

 In addition to the fragments of potter}', we found chips of black obsidian, 

 of red porphyry, and carnelian, white and red"; but not a bead, an arrow, 

 a lance-head, nor an axe-head of stone or metal, rewarded our long and 

 eager search, which may perhaps be accounted for from the fact that the 

 present Pueblo Indians have a great degree of regard and veneration for 

 ancient stone implements of all kinds, and treasure them with great care. 



The estufa, or council-chamber, was carefully examined, and appeared 

 to have been similar in its character to those at present used in modern 



* A diagram .showing the ruins of the town and its position on the mesa is given in the Report 

 of Engineers from which this account is taken. — F. W. P. 



