Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1876-02-11
NUMBER %.
Retracino their stems 70 the San Juao at

Retracing their steps to the San Juan, at
the mouth of the De Chiefly, the party now
travelled toward the Sierra Abajo, up a
stream known as EPSON Creek, from the
water which is found at its head tasting and
operating like that of salt. The usual in
definite ruins which occur on low lands con-
tinued up this valley over thirty miles.
To the west was labyrinth of canons run!
ming off into those of the Great Colorado, an
examination of some of which discovered
many cave and cliff houses and towns, all of
the same general type as the others. The
ruins gradually diminished as they APP
preached the Sierra Abajo, and several days
spent in the examination of the canon and
plateaus about it and the Sierra la Sal failed
to bring to light any more evidence of their
occupation.
Nearly opposite the Sierra Abaio or Blue
Mountains, as they are locally known,
heads the great canons and valleys of the
Montezuma, which empties into the San
Juan. Here the bottom of tile canons lave
once supported a very thickly-scttIed com
munity. There is almost a continuous
series of ruins for distance of twenty-five
miles. This, in one canon only, and all
the Others contain numerous remains chiefly
in cliff-houses and towns. In the main
canon first spoken of are two ruins notable
for the size of the stones employed in their
construction. In one, built upon small
isolated table land in the middle of the val
ley, are stones set upon end, six feet in
length by eighteen inches square, and rang
ing along the walls a distance of Twenty-Five
or thirty yards. Another case is where
stones seven feet in heighth (above ground)
and twenty inches square, are standing per-
pendicularly about five feet apart, and form
one side of wall incloSing the ruins of
large, important building. Throughout the
canon every available defensive point has
been utilized and are now covered with the
remains of heavy walls and large blocks of
houses. Another singular feature was the
number of holes cut into the perpendicular
lower wall of the canon for the purpose OF
ascending the rock holes just large enough
to give q hand and foot-hold, and leading
either to some walled-up cave or to a build
ing erected above. Some of these steps
assembled the nearly perpendicular face
of the rock for $50 or 200 feet On
exposed surfaces, disintegration has almost
entirely weathered away the holes, while on
more protected surfaces they are deep
enough to still answer their original pur-
pose. The main Western branch of the
Montezuma contains the greater number and
more important ruins of all the northern
tributaries of the San Juan, west of the Rio
Maucos. Water was found in a few pools
near its head and lower down running along
in small stream, distance of two or three
miles, when it sank again The bottoms are
rich, and the present Indians, Utes, who oc-
cupY the countries, raise good crops of corn
without irrigation.
The result of this trip was the collection
of large number of utensils, both modern
and ancient, stone arrow and spear points,
knives and axes, photographs, especially IL
of the most important ruins, and
numerous sketches of everything of note,
which will be brought out in detail in the
regular publication of the survey.