Litchfield enquirer., 1869-11-18
INTERESTING DISCOVERIES IN AR
 FIONA.
SINGULAR CAVES AN TRACES OF OLD CIvILr
 PATTON.

SINGULAR CAVES AN TRACES OF OLD cIvILI-
 PATTON.
 A correspondent of the Cleveland Her. ald writes from Arizona, under date of September 20, an interesting account of the recent cave discoveries in that coun- try. -&-..5s.s zsl. iEE .
 On Saturday, September IS, a small par ty from the military post at Camp Verde visited the " Montezuma2 Well,"" situated on Beaver Greek, about eight miles dis tant. The-well is about one hundred yards back from the stream, upon a high isola- ted mesa, and is about one hundred and twenty five yards in width and about one hundred feet down to the water, which is surrounded by perpendicular walls of rock. The water is very clear. of light green or bluish color, and is very strongly impregnated with lime, sulphur, soda, iron and other minerals. It has no visible in let, but it's outlet is by subterranean pas- sage at point nearest Beaver Greek. into which it empties large volume of water.
 The whole country between the '"Sierra Prieta'' and the 'sMoyallon" ranges of mountains is limestone formation and full of caverns, some of which are quite extensive, as was shown by the results of the days explorations. All along the bluffs of the Rio Verde and Beaver Creek, wher-s ever these caves exist, they are found to have been the dwelling places of race of people which has long since passed away, and about which not even mythology tells a tale; but it, is generally supposed that they are of very ancient character, prob ably older than the Aztecs of Mexico. E5 ,
 The writer says: G ta, 1l- ," The object of the expedition was to. explore the caves and ruins by which the place is surrounded, and ascertain if pos sible the depth of water in the well. We took with us rubber bag which was infa- ted and launched. Dr. w. H. Smith (post surgeon) and myself undertook to make the sounaings, which we did in very sat. isfactory manner, but with great deal of labor and at imminent peril, owing to a thick growth of water plants which float ed on the surface and extended some twen- ty feet from shore and through which it was next to an impossibility to swim; by great exertion the difficulties were over- come, and the soundings made, which in the deepest place was eleven fathoms.
 "AI around the well, in the high walls, were caves, which, too, had once been oc- cupied, and, from their sheltered position, all remain nearly as perfect to-day as they were when abandoned, probably hundreds of years ago. The openings are bnilt up with masonry through which are left small entrances or loop holes for protection. The walls overhead are blackened with the smoke of their fires, now so old that it will not rub off. The plastered walls show the print ts of their hands as plainly as if they were made but yesterday. Corn cobs. pie ces of gourds, mescal and seeds are found in the plaster, which is conclusive proof that they were an agricultural people-and for a similar reason it is believed that they were manufacturing people. as good article of cloth and pieces of common twine have been found in. these caves, and which were preserved in the same man. ner.' -,., ..r.tslrg. -,rs s~-s.. gf..-.9. 4',s
 To-day we discovered a new cave which no white man had ever seen before; 1t was evidently the Gibraltar of this ancient city-the name of which to us1 is forever lost. Upon entering the great front room, in every direction were seen little rooms. where niches in the rocks had been built up with loop-holed walls, forming as 1t were counterscasp galleries, as interior lines of defense, impregnable to any ene-