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Show 6 APPE DTX TO PART IlL Riw·n.-The ri,•e t· d '1 Norte takes it ~ so11rce in the mountains (which t~ivc birth to the head-waters of Califomia, the Plat:-~, Piet·t·c Jaune, of tht \1i'iSCllll'i and Arkansaw or tht· 1i ssili:>ippi) in Jj.()O N: l:tti:uc\e and 110° \V.longit ucle. Ito.; distance from its sourc · to the gulf of i\lcxico may be, by its m<'anclers, cstimntccl :;t ~000 miles, passi11g throu~· h the provinces of New Mexico, part or Biscay, Cog-qnilla, and New ~an Ander, where it falls into the gulf in 2G0 N. latitude. It canuot, in any part of its r011rse, be ternwc1 a navi 1;ablc stream, owing- to the sancl-bars. In the flat country and mountain<> in the llpper part, '"ith which its CO\Jrse is interrupt cl, small boats might ascend as hi g-h as the Presidio de rio Grande in Cogt)Uilla, and it mi t;ht be navig-:-.ble for canoes in various parts of its O\li'Se. ln the mount~1ins above Santa Fe it aflorcled amply sufftcient water fot· (t·anoe navit~ation, and even more than appeat· ·d to be llowing in its bed in the plains. This must be attributed to nume rous canals and the dry sandy soil through which the river courses and where much of the water which flowed from the mouttlains must be absorbccl and lost. In the province of New Mexico it is called the Hio del Norte; below it is termed the Hio Grande ; but in no instance did I heat· it called the l{io Bravo, as many of our ancient maps; dcsi~ nate it. Tltere arc also, in the limits of this province, to the west, the rivers San Hafacl, San x~\vier, river de los Dolores, also de los Ana· mas or Nabajoa, all of which join and form the Great Rio Colorado of California. The two first take theit· sources in the same moun· tains as the Rio del Norte, but on the west side. The river Colorado, by its mcanclet·s, may be about 1000 miles in l cn~th, from its sources to its discharge into the head of the gulf of Califomia, in the 33d degree of N. latitude. It has been represented to me, by men or information :md research, to be n:wigablc for squnt'c ri ~gc cl vessels at l<:ast 300 miles from the gulf. By thi'i ri,·e t· and the Arkansaw there could be the best communication (' 'i tablished between the Pacific ancl the Atlantic oceans. The•·e :-~n, rcpre~cntecl to he \'arious, numerous und warlike nations o[ Inclinns on its hanks. Throug-h the whole or its COllt'SC its hanks arc entire!} destitute of 'I'imber, and indeed I was informed that for 300 miles there was not a tree ten inches in dhmeter. The rivet· S. lluenavcntura empties into the Pacific ocean to the north of California in 39° 30' N. latitutle, and takes its source i11 -the Sierra Madre to the no1·th of the Colot·aclo and del Ntll'te. The Rio Gila heads opposite to the copper-mines, ~ln(l eli<- APPENDIX TO PART lii. 7 r-hargcs itself into the ~nlf of California, just b ]ow the Colorado, in the 33d d g-ree of N. l~titudc. Tile Rio Puertt' is a branch of the Rio del Norte, and comes from tho nonh and joins that ri ve 1· about 100 miles below the Presidio clcl Norte. None of the fore~oing streams present any evidences of civiliz~ ation on th eir shores but the Hio del Norte. l .akC's.-I heard of no lakes in the province, except that of Tampanag·os, the exi$tcuce of which I con~idcr very doubtful. It i~ said t~ c01n mcncc (according- to Father Escalante ) in ti1e 40th dcg. N. lutttudc, and to have been explored to the 42d d g. in a N. \ V clircction, where it enl arg·cd its dimcn!:>iou, and the discoverer thought propct· to t'<'tum. .!lnimal::.-North :\lcxico produces deer, elk, l.mffalo, cabric, the grcslcy, black bear, and wild horses. ? oflulatiou.-lts pop11lation i5 not far short of 30,000 souls one-twentieth of ~vhich may be Spnninrds from Europe (ot' Chape~ to n ~s)~ ~o.ltr-tw ntt eth~ Creoles, fi ve-twentieths Mctifs, and the othn halt CIVII!~c:d Indians. . _The capital i~ S<mt_a Fe, s~tn atcd on a small stream which cmp-ttcs 1nto the cast stdc ol the H.w del Norte, at the foot t)f the mountain5 which divide the water!> of that ri\'Ct' from the i\1 kansaw and l{ccl river_or the l\lississippi, in 3Go ~-l atit u de and 109o \N. Jongi .. tude. It ts an oblong- square, ext nclin~ about one mile from cast ~o ~~ s t on tl~e lnu_l ks ?~' th_c creek. In the centre is the public sqt~-11 e,_ one stele oi _wh1ch lorms the fl .mk of the soldiers' square, whtch Is c_lused and m some degree de fended hy round towers in the an~J es wlllch Hank the four curtains: another side of the square is fot .. IUC<~ uy _thc pal<~ce of the govcmot·, his g-uanl-houscsl &c. The thtrd .sl.de 1s occup1ed by_ the yricsts and their suit, and the founh by the Ch.tpetonc~ who restdc m the cit}' '1'1 , 1 ) • IC IOUSCS :.li'C g-c ner~dJ y ott Y one _story high, llat '.'oofs, and have a very mean appearance 011 the out-stdt, but some oi them arc richly fu mi ~hcd, cspccja!ly with plate. The second cities in the province at·c Albuquct·quc anJ P ass ~:1 N~rtc. The latlct· is the most southcm city of the proviuce, as ons Is the most noJ'them. Between the village of Sibilleta and. the : ,asso tl~crc is a wilderness of ncar 200 miles. .. Trade a11(/ Commt:rcc.--Ncw l\'lcxico canies on a traclc r ·, • wah l\I .· 1 . < 11 eeL d extco t lrough ll1scay, also with Senom and Sinaloa· it scln _s ou_t <lbOut 30,000 sheep annually, tobacco, dressed deer ~nd came sktn<> so f b m < ' · me ur, u alo robes, salt, ancl wrought copper ves- |
