EXCAVATING A STONE. 



75 



out as the most curious part of the ruins ; but, for- 

 tunately, they had no feeUng about it, and were all 

 ready to assist in any way we directed. The only 

 way of getting at it was by digging down through 

 the roof ; and, as usual, a friendly tree was at hand 

 to assist us in the ascent. The roof was flat, made 

 of stone and mortar cemented together, and several 

 feet in thickness. The Indians had no crowbar, but 

 loosening the mortar with their machetes, and pry- 

 ing apart the stones by means of hard wood sap- 

 lings with the points sharpened, they excavated down 

 to the layer on the top of the arch. The stone lap- 

 ped over about a foot on each side, and was so heavy 

 that it was impossible to hoist it out of the hole ; 

 our only way, therefore, was to lower it down into 

 the apartment. The master sent some Indians to 

 the rancho to search for ropes, and, as a measure 

 of precaution, I had branches cut, and made a bed 

 several feet thick under the stone. Some of the 

 Indians still at work were preparing to let it fall, 

 when Dr. Cabot, who was fortunately on the roof 

 at the time, put a stop to their proceedings. 



The Indians returned with the rope, and while 

 lowering the stone one of the strands broke, and it 

 came thundering down, but the bed of branches 

 saved the painting from destruction. 



The proprietor made no objections to my carrying 

 it away, but it was too heavy for a mule-load, and 

 the Indians would not undertake to carry it on their 

 shoulders. The only way of removing it was to 



