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Show 174 J 2. REPORT OX THE RUIN'S OF NEW MEXICO, BY DR. OSCAR L. OEW. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS WEST OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH MERIDIAN, Washington, D. C, April 24, 1875. Among the few regions that were found, ou the discovery of this continent, inhabited by civilized people, New Mexico, no doubt, occupies a leading place. The first notices of these people were published by Cabezade Vaca, ( 1536,) who, during his adventurous and most remarkable wauderings from Florida to the Gulf of California, traversed New Mexico from east to west. All the Spanish records, though sometimes very untrustworthy, agree in one point- the large number of inhabited towus. If the statements of the Spanish writers are founded on truth, the number of these towns was ten times that of the present pueblos, or Indian towns, while, by a close examination, we would arrive at a number about four times as great. Some Spanish writers estimated the whole pueblo population at . about 50,000; others, however, that of a single province at 25,000. As a proof of Spanish exaggeration, however, I may mention Castane-da's description of Acoma, a town which, according to his estimate, was inhabited by 5,000 persons, aud was built in three parallel rows of houses. Now, I have visited this town and found the three rows of houses still exiting; they extend from one side of a steep precipice to the other end of the rock, and occupy the entire - width of the precipitous bluffs, about 200 feet above the plain. But these rows, which could never have been any longer, could not have held more than about 1,000 people. At present the population of the town is feOO. Still it is an undeniable fact that New- Mexico had a much greater Indiau population formerly than now- a fact clear to any one on viewing the numerous ruins. If asked how this reduction was brought about we can give but three reasons, viz, 1st, the change of climate that prompted emigration from certaiu parts of the country; 2d, the wars with the Spaniards, whereby wholesale slaughter was often ordered by the Spanish geuerals: and, 3d, a gradual mixture of Spanish and Indian blood, whereby the Indians lost their customs and language; Abiquiu, for instance, is such a town, where the characteristic Indian type still prevails, although they call themselves Mexicans. Such Mexieauized towns often, received the name of a saint. Not only these, however, but also the names of the unmixed pneblos were in a number of cases abolished and those of saints substituted through the pious zeal of Spanish priests. Looking over the names of towns mentioned in the Spanish reports, we find ourselves in many cases unable to locate them, not even ruins being found where, from the description, we would suppose they existed. But not only is this the case with the towns; we often encounter the same difficulty with the proviuces, the Spanish using the name of each town in the province in turn to name the latter; often the province is named after the valley of rivers or after mountains. The truth is, the pueblos had no provinces, each town having its own government: the maire being elected every year. But if wo would distinguish proviucec, the language alone should be used as a criterion. Marata, Acus, Totontcal, Acha, Tahasas, Sumas, Jumanes, Conchos, Pasaaguates, Jerez. Piro8 are names of provinces which to locate is rather difficult; the most of them were in Southern New Mexico. At present, there is no pueblo existing there, except perhaps, Isleta below El Paso, which now belongs to Texas. But ruins are found here and there on the Rio Grande, Rio Gila, Rio Francisco, Rito Blanco, Rito Bonito, etc. Ilubates, Tanos comprise the region of the Placer and Zandia Mountains and a portion of the Rio Graude Valley below Albuquerque. Ruins are quite numerous in these regions, for instance those of Shi- ua- na, San Lazaro, Guika, San Marcos, San Joso, Los Tanques, Guia, aud of some buildings in the canon of the Rio de Santa F£ near Ciene-gnilla. Cicuye, Qnerez% Cunames seem to signify one and the same region between the Rio Jemez and Rio Grande. At present five pueblos still exist here, but ruins of extinct towus also are seen near Silla and San Felipe. Diego de Vargas also applies the name Querez to Acoma. Taos and Picurfo ; these two provinces are represented by two pueblos of the present day. Tuiahaco. - Castaneda mentions ( 1542) eight cities of this province, the position of which is southeast of Mount Taylor. At present, there still exist five pueblos, al> o several towns in ruins, on the Rito San Jos< 5 west of Laguna. The Mexican town Cebolleta was probably formerly an Indian pueblo. Mr. G. Marmon, school- teacher at Laguna, informed me that ruins of a fortified place exist on the foot- hills of Mount Taylor near the pueblo of Pojuate, or Povate. The name Tuiahaco used by the Spaniards for this province is not known there by the Indians, nor are the names |
