iest character. The country is
barren and desert. The valley in which the ruins are located is high and
narrow, but surrounded by bleak hills. The soil is dry and sandy, and
almost devoid of vegetation. The cold winds, blowing almost constantly,
sweep before them great clouds of sand. A small stream flows through
this dreary waste, which, during the rainy season, is a raging torrent.
"No birds sing, or flowers bloom," around these old ruins. Appropriately
enough, tradition speaks of this as the "Place of Sadness," or "Dwelling
of the Dead." As to the extent of territory covered by the ruins, we
have not been able to learn further than the general statement that at
the time of the conquest they covered an immense area.<42>

Illustration of Wall at Mitla.-----------------

Mr. Bandelier found, besides two artificial hills, traces of thirty-nine
distinct edifices, and, as he thinks these are all the buildings that
ever stood there, it is manifest that this was not a city in our sense
of the word. Two or three of the buildings were constructed of adobe,
plastered, and painted red. The others were built of stone. Of these
latter the greater part stands upon the ground, but a few are built upon
elevated terraces, composed of stone and earth heaped together and
faced with stone. In one group of four buildings the terraced foundation
contained a basement--in one case, at least--in the form of a cross. The
purpose of this cellar or basement left in the artificial foundation is
unknown. Some think they were used for burial purposes but it is more
likely they were general store-rooms. The arrangement of these buildings
was the same as elsewhere. That is, so placed as to inclose a court.
This illustration shows us the method of constructing the walls of
the building. We notice two distinct parts. The inner part is built of
broken stones laid in tolerably regular courses in clay. There was
no mortar used. This inner core is much the same sort of work as the
masonry in the pueblos of Arizona. A facing was put on over this inner
core, which served both for ornament and for strength. This illustration
is a corner of one of these buildings, and gives us in excellent idea
of the peculiar ornamentation employed at Mitla. Mr. Bancroft gives us a
clear idea of how this facing was put on: "First, a double tier of very
large blocks are placed as a base along the surface of the supporting
mound, projecting two or three feet from the line o