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Show IG PPENDIX TO PAHT III. · with the vat·ious s.n·agc tt·ibes which S\ltTound them on all side~, und who have been ncar ruinin~~ thcmsdves ~everal times, and ol>lig·ed them to apply for reinforcements from Biscay and Senora. A few year!i since the Tctaus carried on a w~1rm and vigorous war ag-ainst them, but arc now at peace ancl con':lidcred as their Jirmest .dlies. In the history of New Mexico it may not be improper to rc. c.orcl the name of .fame<> Pur~lcy, the Jlrst American who ever penetrated the immense wilds of Louie.iuna, and shewed the Spaniards of )J cw Mexico that neither the savages who stttTound the dc~ct·t~ which di' ide them from the habit.lblc world, not· the jealous tyranny or their rulers, was sumcicnt to prevent the enterpri!>ing spirit ~r the Americans penetrating the arcanum of their rich estaulishl11Cttt or the new world. Pursley was from ncar Baird's town, Kcntu, · ky, wllich h Jert in 1799. In 1 B02, with two companions, he ll'ft St. Louis and travelled west, on the head of the Osa1~c t·ivct·, where they made a hunt: from thence they stru ck for the \ ' hitc river of the Arkau!:.aw, and intended to descend it to Orleans; l>ut; while mal,ing preparation:;,, the Kans stole lh<'ir horses. They <,ccnrcd th c.: it· pcltrics and pursued them into the \'illag-c. The horses were the re, but the lndi,ms refused to give them up. Purslt: y saw his horse, with an J ndian on him, going to the n atcr at the cd~~e of the town, pursued hi Ill, and with hi:;, kllife ripped r)pen the ho rse's bowels. The lndi,m returned to tlw vilb~c, ~ol his g·un, ~md came nnd ~napped it at J ursiey, who pursued him into the 'illagc with his knife. The lttcliun took rcfu,p..,· (· in a Jod1·"'r c su rrounded by wonlt'tl and cllildrc11. This ;:;truck the clticl's with astoni'ihmcut a 1~d adn1irai1011 of the" mud Amcrican!:i," as they termed them, and they rcturnul tlw otbet· horses to tlte hunters .. This anecdote was rel.1ted by tradcn; ,vho were in the village at the time. Pursley ancl his companions then returned to wlH·rc they had burieclthcir peltry, :mel dctcr111ined to pursue the l'OIItc by land to St. Louis: but some person~ stole thLir hot'scs a s<:concl time, when they were at 110 great distance !'rom the Osap;c rivet·, on which tltcy funned a rou P;h caJHJC and descended that stt·t;.am. Ncar the cntratlce of the l\1issomi they ovcrset their canoe uml lost their whole yrar's bunt, but savt'd their an11s :llld ammunition, wltich is alwap; the primary obj< ·, l iu a ck!-!et·t. ln the Missouri they met Monsieur-- in hi~ bar~f', bcHttHl to the l\landancs. Pursley cmharkc·d \\ith him for the voy~~~~e: .lti~ two companion~ prd·red r<..tuming to tltcir llontcs. On thc11· arnv.d at the point of destination, his clll pi oyer dispatc.h ccl l'ur!'iley on a hunting- and traoing tour, with some bands of the !'ad· APPENDIX TO PART ITT. £1llcas ancl Kyaway!:i, with a small quantity or merchandise. In the ensuing spring they were driven from the pl .tins by the Siou:-.. jnto the mount.tins which give birth to the La Pl.ltte, J\l·kamaw, &c. &c. and it was their sig·n which we saw in such amazill~) abun d< mce on tla; head waters of La Platte, Thl:it· party consi~ted of ncar 2,000 souls, with 10,000 beasts. The Intli<tn s, kilO\\ ing they wet·e npproxi lltating to New Mc~ico, determined tu send Pup; .. ley, wiLh his compauions and two of their body, into Santa Fe, to lwow of the Spaniards if they would receive them friendly and enter into a tmde with them. This l>citt~ acceded tu by the govcr .. nor ( Allencastcr) the J ttd ian dcputie!:i returned for their ban ds ; but Pursley thought proper to rctnain with a civilized people, which a fortuitous cvcnt hacl tltrown him ;.mwng, a circlllll!:itance which, he nss\lrcd rne, he had at one time entirely despaired oL lie anivc<l at ~anta Fe in June I SO.'> , <lllcl had been following· his trade, a car· pcntcr, ever since, at which he made a great deal of money, exccp~ when working for the of1icers, who paid him little or uothing. Jla was a man or strong nalut·al sense and dauntless intrepidity. lie entertained 1nc with numerous interestin t~ anccclotcs of lti<; ath·en· tures with the Indians, and or the jealousy or the Spanish ~OVCI'II• mcnt. lie was once tH;at· hcin~ hanged fu1· n1aking n lew pounds oi' gun-powder, which he innocently did, as he had been accustolUed to <loin Kentucky, but which is a capital crime in these province!:i. lie 5till retained the gun which he hnd with him his whole tour, and spoke confidently tltat if he had two hours start not all the provinca could take him. 1 [c was forbidden to write, but was assured he should have a passport whenever he demanded it, but was obliged to give security that he would not leave the country without pcnnis ~ sion of the government. He a!:isut·ed me that he had found gold on the head or La Platte, and had earned some of the viq;in mineral in his shot·pouch for months; but that being in doubt wltethcr he should ever again behold the civilized world, and losin~ in his mind all the ideal value which mankind have starnpcd on that metal, he threw the sample away: that he had imprudently mentioned it to the Sp:mial'(ls, who had frequently solicited him to go and shew a detachment of cavalry the place, but that conceiving it in om territory he had refused, and was fearful that the circumstance mh;h~ ucatc a great obstacle to his leaving the country. Ceograjilty.-lliseA y lies between 33° antl 24° N. latitude and t0 5° and 111° W. longitude, is bounded on the north by :New Mexico, on the west by Senora and Sinaloa, and on the cast by New Leon and Cogquilla. It is 600 miles in length from north .. west to sonth• ~ |