452 The Ancient Pottery of Colorado, ete. [ August, 
or lines were marked out, they were pressed down symmetrically 
with the thumb of the maker, as we find much of this species 
of ware which exhibits the impress of the human thumb, the 
very minute lines of the cuticle being distinctly visible. Lieu- 
tenant Whipple advances the suggestion that this has been done 
by the pressure of a small shell, whose delicate lines have been 
retained in impression upon the exterior of the material after it 
has been hardened. But it can be readily seen how much more 
rapidly this ornamentation could be effected by the use of the 
thumb and fingers. In some varieties of this class of pottery, 
the plain surface of the vessel is covered by winding long strips 
of plastice clay around spirally, one edge of each whorl overlap- 
ping the next, and this is ornamented according to the taste of 
the maker. The most common method, however, is marking 
the surface off into pointed scales as described previously. 
Captain Moss, who has lived among the western tribes of 
Indians for a number of years, informs me that some of the Ute 
Indians manufacture pottery at the present time, and as branches 
of the tribe extend into the district which abounds in these 
ancient mural remains, it is not singular that the process they 
still employ should resemble that of the modern Pueblo tribes 
of Arizona and New Mexico, of whom the former have probably 
learned the art. He says that for making their pottery “ they use 
marl, which they grind between two rocks to a very fine powder. 
They then mix this with water and knead it as we would dough. 
Afterwards they roll it out into a rope-like shape about one inch 
in diameter and several yards in length. They then commence at 
the bottom of the jar, or whatever vessel they may be making; 
and coil the clay rope layer on layer, until they have the bottom 
and about three inches of the sides laid up. The tools for smooth- 
ing and joining the layers together ‘are a paddle, made out 0 
wood and perfectly smooth, and an oval-shaped polished stone 
Both of these tools are dipped in the water (salt water is pre- 
ferred), the stone is held in the left hand and on the inside of 
the vessel, and the paddle applied vigorously until the surfaces 
are smooth.” 
It is a very erroneous supposition, entertained by many, that 
the external indentation of Class II. has been effected by molding 
the vessel around the interior of a wicker-work basket, which has 
afterwards been burned away in the process of baking, leaving 
the laminated impression of the woven twigs. At first, this ex 
planation seems plausible, but on careful examination I could fin 
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