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Show LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN Fortunately, during a period of years, the writer lived at Santa Fé, where he had abundant opportunity for careful examination of the Santa Fé Archives, at that period in the custody of the Territory of New Mexico. Many translations and copies were made at that time. So far as it was possible to learn, the Santa Fé Archives did not ante-date 1680, nearly all of the earlier records having been destroyed by the Pueblos in the uprising of that year. In the office of the Surveyor General for New Mexico are to be found many very valuable ancient documents which may be classed as archives. These contain a wealth of information of rare historical value. In the papers belonging to private families has been found much valuable information, and it is to be hoped that some day all of this class of archives will find way into the possession of the New Mexico Historical Society, where they may be carefully preserved. The writer does not agree with most of the students of our history that many valuable portions of the Santa Fé Archives were lost during the administration of Governor Pyle. Whatever disappeared at that time had already been combed over by various historians, and at a time when the documents were comparatively intact. The work performed by Fr. Escalante in 17 78, and completed from 1681 to 1717, is of great value, and if anything of that period is lost, the fault can not be laid at the door of the worthy friar. His work contains many copies and extracts from original papers which were available to him, but which have since disappeared. Fr. Escalante’s records are found in manuscript in the Archivo General de M eX1C0 5 they were printed in the year 1856 in the Doc. Hist. Mex. 3rd series, part iv, pp. 113-208. PREFATORY HISTORY Volume xxv of the Arch. Gen. Mex. Ms., entitled Documentos para la Historia de Nue- vo Mexico, contains the official reports of the friars and other church authorities covering almost all of the eighteenth and some very important documents of the seventeenth century. NOTE xi Fr. Salmeron’s Relaciones is a very complete work of the earliest explorations, although at times his accoun ts appear to be somewhat exaggerated. Fr. Alonso Posada’s work is of the greatest value. The fray was custodio of New Mexico in 1660-1664, and had been in New Mexico engaged in missionary work for several years prior to that date. His report was made pursuant to a royal order made in 1678, and was written about eight years later. The most important work, however, for New Mexic an history is that of Torquemada, Monarquia Indiana, which brings the records down to 1608. Later authors are Vetancurt, Cronica, and Menologio, 1691; Mendieta, Historia Eclesidstica; Oviedo, Histor ia General; Herrera, Historia General; Gomara, Histor ia Indiana; Mota Padilla, Conquista de Nueva Galicia, and Villagra, Historia de Nuevo Mexico, probably the best of the earlier writers, particularly upon the occurrences of the period of which he writes. There are many other authorities upon special subject s, appearing in the foot-notes, whose works appear in the bibliographical list at the conclusion of the chapte rs. The best of the earlier modern writers is W. W. H. Davis, at one time United States Attorney for New Mexico , whose work, The Spanish Conquest of New Mexico, is a condensation or translation of the early Spanish narrat ives down nearly to the year 1700. In 1883, there appeared a very excellent work by L. Bradford Prince, LL. D., entitled Historical Sketches from the Earliest Records to the American Occupation. In some respects he has followed the errors of earlier writers, particularly as to the journey of Alvar Nufiez Cabeza de Vaca, the route taken by Francisco Vasquez Coronado, and localities visited by the last named explorer. Beyond all question the best authorities upon the subjects treated by them are the works of Adolph F. Bandelier, Con- |