AND THE CASAS GRANDES. 279 
‘The large house or palace of Montezuma, accord- 
ing to the histories and meagre accounts of it which we 
have from the Indians, may have been built some five 
hundred years ago: for, as it appears, this building 
was erected by the Mexicans, when, during their 
transmigration, the Devil led them through various 
countries until they arrived at the promised land of 
Mexico; and in their sojourns, which were long ones, 
they formed towns and built edifices. The site on which 
this house is built is level on all sides, and at the dis- 
tance of about one league from the river Gila, and the 
ruins of the houses which composed this town extend 
more than a league towards the east and other cardi- 
nal points; and all this land is partially covered with 
pieces of pots, jars, plates, etc.; some common, and 
others painted of different colors, white, blue, red, 
etc.; which is a sign that this has been a large town, 
inhabited by a distinct people from the Pimos of the 
river Gila, who do not know how to manufacture such 
earthenware. We made an exact survey of this edi- 
fice, and of its situation, which we measured in the 
mean time with a lance; and this measure I after- 
wards reduced to geometrical feet, which gave a little 
more or less than the following result: 
‘The house forms an oblong square, facing exactly 
to the four cardinal points, east, west, north, and 
south; and round about it there are ruins, indicating 
a fence or wall, which surrounded the house and other 
buildings, particularly in the corners, where it appears 
there has been some edifice like an interior castle or 
watch-tower; for in the angle which faces towards the 
south-west there stands aruin, with its divisions and an 
