1878.] The Ancient Puéblos. 613 
exceedingly perishable; but the wood which occurs is generally 
of the most durable sort, such as cedar and artemisia. The 
exsiccating properties of the desert atmosphere would be emi- 
nently conducive to its preservation, and it might remain intact 
for many centuries. On the other hand, we must not lose sight 
of the fact that in the majority of instances the wood-work of 
these structures has entirely disappeared. Only in exceptional 
cases do we find traces of vegetable fibre in the ancient remains. 
This fact alone would be sufficient to prove conclusively the great 
age of the buildings. Ina country where scarcely a drop of rain 
falls from one year’s end to another, and where the temperature 
varies but a few degrees throughout the 365 days, a great length 
of time would be required for the gradual disintegration of the 
most durable woods and particularly of solid rock. Yet there 
existed at one time thousands of stone and adobe structures 
throughout the San Juan valley, which can at present only be 
traced by inconsiderable mounds of dust. It is now generally 
held that the ancient Puéblos were a progressive branch of the 
so-called Mound-builders, forming a connecting link between the 
latter and the Nahuatl tribes of Mexico. 
Frederick von Hellwald; in an article on “ The American Mi- 
gration,” aay 
the valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi, and then have directed 
their steps through the present States of Louisiana and Texas, 
probably along the edge of the gentle acclivity which, under the 
name of the Sierra Guadalupe, stretches from the Rio Grande to 
the — P towards -the banks of the great Rio Grande 
del Nor 
a There are many indications, moreover, which lead us to be- 
lieve that this was not the only route- by which the northern- 
tribes made their way to the south. A part of them seem to 
projected themselves towards the south-east into Florida, the 
seat of a higher civilization, whence they eventually proceeded 
to Cuba and Yucatan; while- a branch of them traversing _ 
the whole length of Cuba and the great arch of the Carib- — 
_ bean islands, descended finally to the banks of the Oronoco. 
This fraction of the migratory population may, of course, have — 
1 Smithsonian Report, 1866. Translated by C. A. Alexander. 
