358 JANOS TO CORRELITOS. 
bottom land which their occupants had cultivated. 
The former stand on the declivity, with portions 
extending both on the plateau and on the bottom. The 
bank here is about twenty feet in height. Why so 
built I cannot imagine, unless excavations were made 
in the bank for store rooms. Wherever these old 
structures are found, they show much sagacity on the 
part of their builders, who must have had some object 
in view in adopting the plan just mentioned. As a 
general custom at the present day, among the Mex- 
icans, their villages and ranchos are built upon the 
plateau above the valley, or cultivated bottom, and on 
spots where there is no vegetation, except such plants 
as are peculiar to the deserts. Not a blade of grass 
can flourish there. JI supposed this to be for two rea- 
sons: first, that the valleys are sometimes overflowed, 
and in rainy seasons are extremely wet and damp ; 
while on the gravelly plateau, which is hard and 
smooth, it is always dry. The second reason is, that 
being elevated, the people have a good view of their 
cultivated grounds, can trace their cattle and herds 
with ease, and discover the approach of an enemy. 
On the western or upper side, some sixty to 
eighty yards from the building, are three mounds of 
loose stones, about fifteen feet high, no doubt the 
burial places of the chiefs or great men. I would 
have opened these, but had not the time or facilities 
for so doing. If these were burial places, and there 
are no indications of places of sepulture elsewhere, 
some valuable relics might be found beneath them. 
I made particular inquiry of my Mexican friends, 
who were familiar with every spot of ground in this 
