278 INDIANS OF THE GILA, 
occupy too much space to be introduced here. Little 
has yet been done for the ethnology of the Indian 
tribes west of the Rocky Mountains, except by Mr. 
Hale, in his elaborate and admirable ‘‘ Ethnology and 
Philology of the United States Exploring Expedition.” 
But I have reason to believe, that when the various lan- 
guages of Mexico, California, and of the tribes between 
the Colorado and New Mexico, are subjected to a rigid 
examination and comparison, some interesting facts 
will be deduced. 
The most detailed of the early accounts of the 
ruins on the Gila is that of Father Pedro Font, to whose 
interesting and reliable journal I have before alluded. 
As these ruins have been misunderstood by many, 
and an important error propagated respecting them, I 
will give an extract from the diary of this missionary 
from the manuscript copy obtained by me in Califor- 
nia : 
‘The Commandant determined that we should 
rest to-day, and thus we had an opportunity to ex- 
amine the large building called Montezuma’s House, 
situated at the distance of one league from the river 
Gila, and three leagues E.S. H. of the laguna. We 
were accompanied thither by’ some Indians, and by 
the Governor of Uturituc, who on his way related to 
us a history and tradition respecting said house, 
handed down from their forefathers, and composed 
altogether of fiction confusedly mixed with some 
Catholic truths. We carefully examined this edifice 
and its ruins, the iconographical plan of which I here 
lay down; and the better to understand it, I give the 
following explanation and description : 
