outs. I heard of one arroyo, where six inhabited caves,
only thirty or fifty yards apart, can be seen at one time; but this
is a rare case. Generally they are farther apart, maybe a hundred
yards to a mile, or more; and that suits the Tarahumares very well,
each family preferring to live by itself.

In one place I saw a cave, or rather a shelter under a big boulder,
utilised as a dwelling; and here a kind of parapet had been built of
stone gravel, terrace fashion, to enlarge the area of the cave floor.

Inhabited caves are never found in inaccessible places, as is the
case with cliff-dwellings in the southwestern part of the United
States. Where caves are difficult of access, the Indians may place
a wooden ladder, or rather, a notched tree trunk, which is the
national style of staircase. Once I saw steps cut into the soft "rock"
(solidified volcanic ash), leading up to a dwelling. There was also
a kind of settee cut out of the cave-wall.

Many of the caves are remarkably symmetrical in shape, and naturally
quite comfortable. Caves may be found in the arroyos in the highlands,
as well as in the barrancas. If I were to designate a region where
they are more plentiful than elsewhere, I should mention the country
from Carichic towards Urique, and also to the north and west of
Norogachic. Many caves have within the memory of man been permanently
abandoned, owing to the occupancy of the land by the Mexicans, as
the Indians dislike to be near the whites.

The Tarahumares are not the only tribe still clinging to caves. As we
have seen, the Pimas, too, are, to a limited extent, cave-dwellers,
and the same is the case with the northern Tepehuanes, as well as
with the allied Huarogios in their small area.

Are these cave-dwellers related to the ancient cliff-dwellers in the
southwestern part of the United States and northern Mexico? Decidedly
not. Their very aversion to living more than one family in a cave
and their lack of sociability mark a strong contrast with the
ancient cliff-dwellers, who were by nature gregarious. The fact
that the people live in caves is in itself extremely interesting,
but this alone does not prove any connection between them and the
ancient cliff-dwellers. Although the Tarahumare is very intelligent,
he is backward in the arts and industries. It is true that the women
weave admirable designs in girdles and blankets, but this seems
to be the utmost limit of their capabilities. In the caves they
som