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Show 452 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY In the month of July, 1794, it was known at El Paso that de la Concha’s successor, Don Fernando Chacon, had been appointed and was on his way to the capital. Lieutenant DON FERNANDO CHACON Francisco Javier de Uranga was named as BECOMES GOVERNOR lieutenant-governor at El Paso, in the same year. During this period the Navajés were on friendly terms with the Spaniards but were at war with the Apaches. Notwithstanding the peaceful relationship at that time existing between the settlers and the N avajos, Governor Chacon maintained spies among them, who constantly watched their movements and reported regularly to headquarters at Santa Fé. It was the custom in these times, whenever a hostile Indian was killed, to bring his ears to the governor’s palace, thereby receiving a reward, and General Nava made complaint that of five hostile Apaches who had been killed the ears had not been brought to him as proofs, ‘“que es la practica que se observa en esta provincia.’’ The Apaches were very persistent in depredations upon the settlers of the Rio Grande valley, having made a raid upon the town of Alburquerque. On account of this raid, Lieutenant Canuelas, with a force of one hundred and sixty men, was sent against them. Governor Chacon made official inspection of all the presidios and visited many pueblos and missions, but nothing of importance seems to have been discovered. The Apaches still continuing their warfare upon the settlers, Governor Chacon determined upon a vigorous campaign against them,‘”® and in the month of May, 1800, with a force of five hundred men, proceeded down the valley and after a short campaign twenty of their principal chiefs gave in their submission and surrendered a number of animals which had been stolen during their Another expedition, however, became previous raids in the valley. necessary as this peace was quickly proken, and Lieutenant Jose Manrique ‘79 was despatched to the San Mateo and Magdalena mountains with a force of two hundred and fifty men, accomplishing nothing, however, other than the recovery of some stock which had been stolen. During Mexico all this period of occupation under was the extreme 478 Arch. Sta Fé, Ms. 479 Tbid, outpost of authority SPANISH and nineteenth century were agriculture, NEW MEXICAN INDUSTRIES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 19TH CENTURY 453 stock-raising, and barter.4®° Crops were raised principally by the application of water upon the valley lands through irrigating ditches, acequias, as they were called by the settlers. Indian corn, wheat, and beans were the principal crops in and around Santa Fé, the Santa Cruz, and upper Rio Grande valleys, and at Taos ; there was also raised, in and about the Rio Abajo, as the valley adjacent to Alburquerque was known, some fruit and some cotton; also an inferior kind of tobacco, called punche, although by an official order, in the latter portion of the eighteenth century, the raising of this substitute Of live stock, sheep formed the these animals being produced, Some cattle were raised but not on account of the numbers sold plains. A great many mules small jackass, there was a great for tobacco was prohibited. principal element, large numbers of both for their wool and the meat. many, and horses were always scarce to and stolen by the Indians of the were also raised and of burros, a plenty. In fact the burro was and is still the pack animal of the native. There were very few manu- factories or manufactures, beyond the preparation of skins of animals for home use or sale in the southern markets. Cotton cloth was woven at some of the pueblos in the valley of the Rio Grande, and also coarse woollen blankets were made by the pueblo Indians. Every year in the month of July or August the people of the Province would journey to Taos, where a fair was held. Here they met the Comanches and other wild In- rule, Ne colonization. 1700 TO 1822 Everything that was not raised in the provinc e was brought in by way of the long routes to the south, through Durang o and Chihuahua, but the time was soon to come, when, by the opening of communication with the states of the American Union, to the east, New Mexico itself was to become a great point of trade and distribution for the northern states of Mexico. The principal industries of the province at the beginn ing of the THE ANNUAL FAIR AT TAOS Spanish RULE, dians for purposes Hundreds Post of Spanish civilization bringing of barter and trade. of Indians came to this outdeer-skins, buffalo hides, to- .“80 Even at this time there was no mining of any consequence, although “xistence of mineral and some placers were known to the Spaniards. the a |
