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Show 22 Al)PENDIX TO PART III. Chihuahua, the freight being eight dollars per cwt. and they generally pnt 300 pounds on each mule. The merc hants make thei1· remittances twice a year in bullion. Goods sell at Chihuahua about 200 per cent on the prices of out· Atlantic sea port towns. Their horses averag·e at six dollars, but some have sold as high as 100 : their trained mules at 20 dolla1·s; but extraordinary matches fol' car·riages have sold at 4·00 dollars per pair. Rice sells at four dollars per cwt. They manufacture some few arms, blankets, stamped leather, embroide ry, coarse cotton and woollen cloths, and a species of rough carpetillg. 'fhcir blankets average two dollars, but some sell as high as 2 5 dollars. Agriwlt u1·c.--They cultivate wheat, corn, rice, oats, cotton, flax, indigo, and vines. \Vhat I have said relative to the cultivation of those articles in New Mexico will equally apply to this province, but it rnay be proper to observe here that one of Nolan's mcu constructed the first cotton gin they ever had in the province, and that vValker had caused a few churns to be made for some private families, and taught them the usc of them. Timber, Plains and Soil.-To the north of Chihuahua, about 30 miles to the rig·ht of the main road, there is some pine timber, and at a spring on this siJe of Carracal we saw one waluut-trce, and on all the small streams there arc shrubby cotton-trees. vVith these few exceptions the whole province is a naked, b:.tnen plain, w~1ich presents to the eye an ariel, unprocluctire soil, and more cspccwll_y in the neighborhood of mines ; even the herbage appears to be pol· soncd by the mineral qualities of the soil. ./lutiquitiL's.-Thcrc arc none in the province which came within mv notice but the Jesuits' college and church at Chihuahua, which w~rc about a century old, and arc used as hospitals. In these there was nothing peculiar, except a certain solidity and. strength, which appeared to surpass the other public buildiug!. oi the city. . ./lborigines.-There arc no uncivilized savages in this provwcc except the App.\ches, of whom I have spoken largely. (Vide Ap.to Jlnt'l III. p. 10.) The Christian Indians are:. so incorporated amon?'st the lower grades of mctifs that it is scarcely possible to draw the hne o f d.t st.m ct.w n, except at t I1 e rane l"1 os o {" some nob l cma1 l or large land-holder, where they arc in a state of vassala ~;e . rhis class of pco· ple laid a conspiracy, which was so well concencd as to baffic ~J1 e inquiries of the Spaniards for a length of time, and to occa~wn them the loss of several hundred of the inhabitants. The Indians APPENDIX TO PART IlL C) • •• ..> used to go out from theit· villages in small parties: in a shot·t tim (~ apart would return with the report that they had been attacked by the Indians; the Spaniards would immediately send out a detac hment in pursuit, when they were led into au ambuscade and every soul cut ofl'. They pursued this course so long that the whole p rovince became alarmed at the rapid manner in which thci1· enemies multipliccl; but some circumstances leading to a suspicion, they m ade usc of the superstition of those people for their ruin. Some ofTiccrs disguised themselves like friars and went round amongst the Indians, pretending to be possessed of the spirit of prophecy. They preached up to the Indians that the dtty was approaching when a gene1·al deliverance from the Spanish tyranny was :tbout to take place, ~mel invited the Indians to join in concct·ting with them the work of God. The poor creatures came fonv ard, and in thcit· confessions stated the great h and that had already been put to the wor·k. Aftet· these pt·ctencled friat·s had ascertained the natut·e ancl extent of the conspi1·acy, ancl had a body of troops prepared, they commenced the execution and put to death about 4·00 of the unsuspecting Indians. This struck terror and dismay throu gh the Indian villages, and they dared not rise and declare their freedom and independence. Go11ermnent mul La'lus.-In this province there is some shadow of civil law; but it is merely a slwdo•w, as the following anecdote may illustrate. An officer, on aniving at a village, demanded quarters for himself and troops. The supreme civil officet· of the place sent him word that he must show his passport. The military office!' immediately sent a file of men, who brought the judge a prisoner before him, when he sevet·cly rcpdmanded the judge for his insolence and obliged him to obey his orders instantly. This has been done by a subaltern, in a city of ~o,ooo inhabitants. The only Jaws which can be said to be in force are the military and ecclesiastic, between which there is a perfect understanding. The governor is a brigadier-general, resides at Durango, and receives 5000 dollars, in addition to his pay in the line. It is pro· per to observe that there are ordinances ~o bear on each subject of civil discussion, but the aclministt·ation of them is so corrupt, that the influence of family and fortune genet·ally procure the determination that they have riglzt on their side. In each town is a public magazine for· provisions, where every far·mer brings whatever grain and produce he may have for sale, where he is sure to meet with a market; and should there be a scarcity the ensuing year, it is retailed out to the inhabitants at a • |
