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Show r Ex. Doc. No. 41. 455 p 1 easnnt ly upon the ear, and was frrq nen tl y min g 1<•d with the sound of the t inkling hell. Octobe'r 5.-Tia· plaza waR now our plarc of clnily promem1.1le, as o n c s c <' s m o r e o f <' h a r i-\ e t c r d i ~ p I " y t.• d i n t h t' m a r k l't p l a c e t h ~\ n at any other public assembly. No ont.• ('an vi~it thts country without b •ing struck with the invd<:rate bilbit of tht• pt•nple for ~ambltng . The word ",nontc" is one of the ftrst a str angt.'r lt·arns. In the mark c t pI a e c, by t he road s i d <', ll a y , a lm o s t <~ v n y w II t' r P, you w ill sec the" villanos" scatt>cl around, in little groups, dt.·(' ply ab~orht•d in their gamt.•s . But, althou~h tht•y carry this Yire to great cxreRs, tht.•y an· t>Xtr<'mcly tt•rnpcrale in the ir meats <1nd drink. The term borrachon (drunkitrd) is con iden:d one of the most opprobrious epith ets in their language. T h c ~ p a n i s h w o m t • n m a k e (' x c. e 11 <' n t h 1'1' a 11 , an 1 l g r e <1 t q u H n t i t i c arc exposed for sale in the plaza. I und ·rstand t hat the flour is sifted by hand, i\ll<l, in!:ltcad of yeast, they u:-·c th<' dou~h from a pr cviou .~ <lny'R mi. in ~~ · One kind of flour i~ quite coarse and dark · thi ells in Taos for $2 50 the fauq~a, (141 pounds.) ' I n t h c L' v e n i n g I m '' d · a ~ k e t c h t) f t h e p a r r o CJ u i a , a I t h o u g h m u d walls are not g<'nerally remarkable; ~til l, the g reat size of the bu i 1 ding, com pared with those around, lHocl uces an imposing efft•ct. Fort Mar ·y i~ seen lying close on the top of a high blulf, and b c h i n d it r i s e s t h <' t o p s o f m a g n i fi c en t m o 11 n t H i n s. 'J'he house of Padre Orti:l, on the right hand side of the church, ha a fin c po rta~l in front, being one of the be ·t dwelling houscH in the city. Oct ober G.-This morning I visitr<l tb • "Cap lla de los Solei ados," or military chapel. I was told that thi~ chapel w(1s tn u ·c some fourt een years ago, and wa~ t lu· ri ehest church inN ·w Mt ·r·o. lt wag d •cl i<:a tcd to "NueHtra \ :iiora de Ia lu:z," ( our lady , 1 t,) in the f<l<f<Hl <·, above the door, th ere is a largr rectan~u l 1 l,d.> of ~recstonc elaborately carved. It rt.•prc ·e 11lS "our lady lq;ht" m the act of r<'SCtnng a human being from the jawtl .\dan, whilst a ugels are rrowning hl'r· the whole is cxc<·ute1l in basso re I1. evo. On e h ere ftnds human ' bont's and Rcu11s ~catlcrctl about the chureh; these belonged to wealthy individuals who coultl afford to .P u r c h a s e t b c p r i v i 1l' g <' o f h e i n g d e p o s i t c d b t' n e a t h t h e fi o o r o f a b u II d in g in w hi · h so many orisons w o ul d be o fl c r c d to ll t' a v c n, hoping that these prayPrs would procure absolution for their sins. nut a ICW yearS (ICTO tlH• roof Of the ChllrCh fc)\ ll1; 110 more pray erS \. • C':) 11ave f. ln <;e t hen bc<•n offt:n'd there, ancl tl1e wealthy have not even found a quiet JCRting place. . To-day I gained much inform at ion with rC"ft•rcJH'(' to thP ruws of Pecos , hut it docs ne t difft•r from the a<'L'ounts given 1n that t:xccllcnt work ca ll ed "ComrnNre of th · P rairi<.•s," I.Jy Gn.·gg. I asked how it h a p p e tH' d t h at t h e o 1 d c h u r c h s h o 11 ~ d h a v c b c en b u i I t i '~ t u c f? r m o f a c r o s ~, a n d was to I 1 I t h at i t w a s n c el e d u n d t' r t h c d 1f e chon of the J<.'suits, who foundt•d schools there, and who lr.' ~orcd much to n.•c l aim the P f!l os Ind ians from thrir su perslltJOns. Strange what it1 fiucn ce these swp crsti lions ha vc on ea lightened ( f l f rl e s .' , n >S h al l C In se ust rm le ed .t Hl ·s. al h. he nd rs. ng be ne ,th )f-he lcr om to 10n .lis all lO <l :> i I, cw •ar, on ry |