The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-03-22
A Fortified Citv.

From here we travelled ten miles, with
occasional ruins by the way, and enter
ed deep canon with projecting shelves
of rock, and under these shelves were nu
merous houses or Notifications. The one
We examined was divided into twenty
four rooms, each nearly square, and en-
closing an area of about one hundred and
forty-four square feet. The front wall
was built up to the overhanging cliff, which
formed the roof, and was curved and full
ofport-holes. The stones were all squared
and faced, were of an equal thickness, and
laid up with joints broken in workman
/ like manner.
The only entrance we could find was
hole about two feet square and eighteen
inches from the ground, which is the u.s.
ual size of all the doors, both in the out
er and partition walls, with the exception
OF some subterranean entrances, which
were yet smaller, and difficult to tnd.--
Through the perfection of the rocky roof,
there was very little rubbish in the rooms.
From the first room we passed through O
small hole in the right hand corner to the
second, and there through another hole
into the third, and SO on, from left room
to right and from right to left, all through
the twenty-four rooms; and every wall
was supplied with portfolios.
Fifty yards above this was large cave
with narrow winding entrance, guard
ed by high wall; near the mouth of this
entrance is an opening in the rock, lead
ing off into the mountain, which we did
not explore, and after little looking and
and rummaging about, we found an out
let to the cave. For three or four miles
to this canon buildings were everywhere
in view, of various forms and dimensions,
and in almost every stage of decay.
From here to St. Johns river, dis
tance of ten miles, there were scattering
ruiDs; and from there, in twelve miles
northeast, We came to head of canon,
whose sides or banks, even to the very
head, were perpendicular and shelving,
and near the banks there was no soil on
the rocks. Right on the brink of this
precipice, and under shelves of rock be-
meath, were the best building sites for
those beings who built and dWelt here
ages ago.
Another Stronghold.
All around the head of this canon, and
down on either side, as far as we could
see, were houses ofevery conceivable form
and size; and in places where the soil was
sufficient, they were overgrown with sage
and cedars, in every respect like that on
the mountains around. In the centre of
this canon, and near the head, was build
ing sixteen or twenty feet square, four
stories high, and built upon fat rock a.
boat four feet higher than the level of the
canon, and but little broader than the
building; to this we could not find an en-
trance, and, unlike all the rest, it had no
portfolios.
One large building, which We entered,
stood on the edge of the precipice, with
its front wall circular and flush with the
bank, which formed the back part, making
the ground plan of the building like a
half-moon. There were no windows in
the lower story of any building, and eve-
ry entrance was made as difficult and
hidden as possible. The door, or hole,
into the one last mentioned was guarded
by two or three walls of different angles;
thus making crooked, narrow passage
to the door, and every part of this pas
sage was in full view from the portfolios
of the building, the front wall being full
of them, like pigeon-holes, pointing in ev-
cry possible direction; they were not more
than two inches in diameter on the out
side, and were plastered smooth on the
inside with kind of cement, with which
the stones are laid and the rooms plaster
ed, and is as hard as stone.
The inside arrangement of all the houses
was much alike, all having port holes in
the partition walls, and very small and
obscure passage-ways from one room to
another, and from one or two houses, into
the mountain. Some on the cliffs above
were connected with those below.
We noticed there was no water about
there, and inquired of the Indians how
the former inhabitants could have man
aged! They told US that they had heard
that long time ago there was water run
ming there. We asked them who built
those houses! They smilingly shook their
heads and said that they had never heard F.,
but that surely somebody must have built
them a very long time back.