Historical Introduction to Studies Among the Sedentary Indians of New Mexico Part 3

[33] Jaramillo, _Relation_, etc., p. 367. Simpson, p. 325. For descriptions of the "Casas Grandes," I refer to Castaneda, i. cap. ix.

pp. 40, 41, ii. cap. iii. pp. 161, 162, to be compared with Mateo Mange, _Doc.u.mentos para la Historia de Mexico_, serie 4, vol. i. cap. v. p.

282, describing Father Kino's visit there in 1697, cap. x. pp. 362, 363.

Cristobal Martin Bernal, Francisco de Acuna, Eusebio Francisco Kino, etc., _Relacion_, in _Doc.u.mentos_, 3 serie, vol. ii. p. 884; this bears date, 4 Dec., 1697. Fray Tomas Ignacio Lizazoin, _Informe sobre las Provincias de Sonora y Nueva-Vizcaya, Doc.u.mentos_, 3 serie, ii. p. 698.

Segundo Media, _Rudo Ensayo Tentativo de una Prevencional Descripcion de la Provincia de Sonora, sus Terminos y Confines_, written by a Jesuit about 1761 or 1762, and published by Buckingham Smith at S. Augustine in 1863, cap. ii. sec. 3, p. 18. Padre Font, in _Relation de Cibola_, Append, vii. pp. 383-386. Of more recent descriptions, I enumerate Lieut. W. H. Emory, _Notes of a Military Reconnaissance, etc., Executive Doc.u.ments_, 41, pp. 80, 81; Capt. A. R. Johnston, _Journal_, etc., id.

pp. 582, 584, 596, 597; John R. Bartlett, _Personal Narrative of Explorations and Incidents_, etc., vol. ii. cap. x.x.xii. pp. 265-280.

While we can easily identify the "Casas Grandes," seen in 1846-47 and 1852, with those described in 1697, 1761, and 1775, in regard to the earliest description of "Chichilticalli," we are inclined to agree with Mr. L. H. Morgan, _Seven Cities of Cibola_, that "there is no ruin on the Gila at the present time that answers the above description."

[34] _Relation de Cibola_, part ii. cap. iii. p. 163, and especially part iii. cap. ix. p. 243. "On fit d'abord cent dix lieues vers l'ouest, en partant de Mexico; Ton se dirigea ensuite vers le nord-est pendant cent lieues; puis pendant six cent cinquante vers le nord, et l'on n'etait encore arrive qu'aux ravins des bisons. De sorte qu'apres avoir fait plus de huit cent cinquante lieues, on n'etait pas en definitive a plus de quatre cents de Mexico."

The "Casas Grandes" in Chihuahua are on the river of the same name, north-west of the city of Chihuahua, and nearly south of Janos. I have been unable as yet to ascertain when they first came to notice.

According to Antonio de Oca Sarmiento, _Letter to the General Francisco de Gorraez Beaumont_, dated 22 Sept., 1667, in _Mandamiento del Senor Virey, Marques de Mancora, sobre las Doctrinas de Casas Grandes, que estaban en las Yumas, Jurisdiccion de San Felipe del Parral_, in _Doc.u.mentos_, 4 serie, vol. iii. p. 231, etc., the Padre Pedro de Aparicio died there, and the General Francisco de Gorraez Beaumont, 1 _Letter_, 25 Oct., 1667, p. 234, adds: "Que en este puesto de las Casas Grandes era parimo de mineria y segun tradicion antigua y ruinas que se veian que decian ser del tiempo de Moctezuma." A very good description of the ruins has been given by Jose Agustin Escudero, _Noticias Estadisticas del Estado de Chihuahua_, Mexico, 1834, cap. viii. pp. 234, 235, who visited them in 1819. Finally, Mr. J. R. Bartlett, _Personal Narrative_, etc., vol. ii. cap. x.x.xv., has furnished excellent descriptions and plates.

It is hardly possible to determine if these ruins would better correspond to "Chichilticalli" than those on the Gila. The fact that the former presented, in 1819, the appearance of one solitary building, whereas the latter, in 1697, composed a group of _eleven_, is noteworthy, but far from being a critical point.

[35] _Relation_, etc, ii. cap. iii. p. 165.

[36] _Relation_, etc., p. 370.

[37] Castaneda, i. cap. xi. pp. 58, 63, 64.

[38] _Relation_, i. cap. xii., pp. 69, 70; ii. cap. iii. p. 166.

[39] _Relation_, p. 370. Castaneda, i. cap. xiii. p. 76.

[40] _Relation_, p. 370.

[41] Jaramillo, pp. 370 and 371.

[42] Acoma is always described with particular care by the older Spanish authors. Antonio de Espejo, Carta, 23 April, 1584, in _Doc.u.mentos Ineditos del Archivo de Indias_, vol. xv. p. 179: "Y hallamos un pueblo que se llama, Acoma, donde nos parecio, habria mas de seis mil animas, el cual esta asentado sobre una pena alta que tiene mas de cincuenta estados en alto," etc. Juan de Onate, _Discurso de las Jornadas que hizo el Campo de Su Magestad desde la Nueva-Espana a la Provincia de la Nueva-Mexico, Doc.u.mentos Ineditos_, vol. xvi. pp. 268, 270: "A quatro de Diciembre [1598?], lo mataron en Acoma, los Indios de aquella fortaleza, que es la mejor en sitio de toda la cristiandad ..." "dieron el primer asalto al Penol de Acoma ..." _Obediencia y Va.s.salaje a Su Magestad por los Indios del Pueblo de Acoma, Doc.u.mentos Ineditos_, xvi. p. 127: "Al pie de una pena muy grande sobre la qual en lo alto della esta fundado y poblado el Pueblo que llaman de Acoma, ..." dated 27 October, 1598. Fray Agustin de Vetancurt, _Cronica de la Provincia del Santo Evangelio de Mexico_, trat. iii. cap. vi. p. 319. "Al Oriente del Pueblo de Zia esta el Penol de Acoma, que tiene una legua en Circuito de treinta Estados de alto." _Menologio Franciscano_, p. 247. Both references are taken from the edition of 1871. Furthermore, in the anonymous _Relacion del Suceso de la Jornada que Francisco Vazquez hizo en el Descubrimiento de Cibola_, ano de 1531 (should be 1541), in vol. xiv. of the _Doc.u.mentos del Archivo de Indias_, we find Acuco (_east_ of Cibola), "el cual ellos llaman en su lengua _Acuco_, y el padre Marcos le llamaba _Hacus_:" now Hacus forcibly recalls the proper name of Acoma, which by the Qq'ueres Indians, to whose stock its inhabitants belong, is called "ago."

[43] _Carta_, 23 April, 1584, _Doc.u.mentos Ineditos_, vol. xv. p. 182.

[44] _Discurso de las Jornadas, etc., Doc.u.mentos Ineditos_, vol. xvi. p.

274. _Obediencia y Va.s.sallaje a Su Magestad por los Indios del Pueblo de San Joan Baptista_, id. vol. xv. p. 115. That the "Mohoces" were the Moqui is evidenced by Padre Geronimo de Zarate Salmeron, _Relacion de todas las Provincias que en el Nuevo-Mexico se han visto y sabido asi por Mar como por Tierra, desde el Ano de 1538, hasta el Ano de 1626.

Doc.u.mentos para la Historia de Mexico_, serie 3, vol. i. p. 30.

[45] Castaneda, i. cap. x. pp. 49, 50. Melchor Diaz reached the Rio del Tizon, starting from Culhuacan and Sonora. This river emptied into the Gulf of California, and he found there traces of Fernando de Alarcon.

The latter went up the Rio Colorado, and learned many details about Cibola from Indians living along the river. _Relation de la Navigation et de la Decouverte faite par le Capitaine Fernando Alarcon, Voyage de Cibola_, Ternaux-Compans, Append, iv. cap. i. p. 302: "Nous y trouvames un tres grand fleuve dont le courant etait si rapide, qu'a peine pouvions nous nous y maintenir," cap. v. pp. 324-326; cap. vi. p. 331.

Herrera, dec. vi. lib. ix. cap. xi. p. 212. Fray Juan de Torquemada, _Monarchia Indiana_, lib. v. cap. xi. p. 609, ed. of 1723. While Alarcon was endeavoring to meet Coronado by sailing or boating up the Colorado from its mouth, the latter sent Garci-Lopez de Cardenas to explore a river which the Indians of "Tusayan" had mentioned to Pedro de Tobar; and he reached this river after twenty days' march. It is described as follows by Castaneda (i. cap. xi. p. 62): "After these twenty days'

marching, they indeed reached this river, whose sh.o.r.es are so high that they thought themselves at least three or four leagues up in the air.

The country is covered with low and crippled pines; it is exposed to the north, and the cold is so severe that, although it was summer, it could hardly be supported. The Spaniards for three days marched along these mountains, hoping to find a place where they could reach the river, which, from above, appeared to be about one fathom in width, while the Indians said it was wider than one-half league; but it was found to be impossible," etc. This is a fair picture of the canons of the Colorado River of the West, the only one emptying into the head of the Gulf of California; and Castaneda adds (p. 65): "This river was the del Tizon."

[46] _Carta, Doc.u.mentos Ineditos_, vol. xv. p. 180: "Una provincia, que son seis pueblos, que la provincia llaman Zuni, y por otro nombre Cibola. Richard Hackluyt, _The Third and last Volume of the Voyages, Navigations, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation_." _El Viaie que hizo Antonio de Espeio en el Ano de ochenta y tres_, pp.

457-464, has "dieron con una Provincia, que se nombra en lengua de los naturales Zuny, y la llaman los Espanoles Cibola, ay en ella cantidad de Indios ..."

[47] Castaneda, i. cap. xii. pp. 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73.

[48] Jaramillo, pp. 370, 371. Castaneda, p. 69.

[49] Castaneda, p. 71.

[50] _Coronado's March_, pp. 333-336.

[51] _The Spanish Conquest of New Mexico_, cap. xxiv. p. 185, note I; cap. xxv. p. 198, note I; also p. 199. I attach particular importance to the opinions of Mr. Davis. He visited New Mexico at a time when it was still "undeveloped," and his writings on the country show thorough knowledge, and much doc.u.mentary information. It is to be regretted that he fails absolutely to mention his sources in any satisfactory manner, a defect which might deprive his valuable book of much of its unquestionable reliability and importance. The attentive student, however, finds, after going seriously through the ma.s.s of material still on hand, that Mr. Davis has been so painstaking and honest, that he is very much inclined to forgive the lack of citations.

[52] From Bernalillo or Sandia, the easiest way, and the one which Alvarado, by Coronado's order, must certainly have taken, is south of Galisteo. This would have led him to Pecos, either by the Canon de San Cristobal or, as I presume, to the lower valley, and thence up the river to the Pueblo. Castaneda (ii. cap. v. p. 176) speaks of abandoned villages along the route. There is a ruin at the place called "Pueblo,"

one at San Jose, and another at Kingman; all along the line of the "Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad." I presume, therefore, that he took this route. At all events, he went _south_ of the Tanos, else he would have struck the villages called later San Lazaro and San Cristobal, both then occupied.

[53] The belief has been expressed to me at Santa Fe, by authority which I have learned to respect, that on the site of the present city there stood the old town of Tiguex. This belief has been strengthened by the popular tale, that the old adobe house, of two low stories, adjoining the ancient chapel of San Miguel, was an ancient Indian home. Personal inspection has, however, satisfied me of the fact that this building, while certainly very old, is certainly not one of an Indian "pueblo." It forms a rectangle: _Met._ 20.71' from east to west, and 4.80' from north to south. Its front has five doors, and the upper story as many windows.

It is entirely of adobe, and may indeed have been an Indian house, but built after their old plan, when Santa Fe had already been founded.

There is no notice of any pueblo on this site. Besides, doc.u.mentary evidence regarding the establishment of Santa Fe absolutely ignores the existence of any Indian settlement at that place in 1598. Juan de Onate, _Discurso de las Jornadas que hizo el Capitan de Su Magestad desde la Nueva-Espana a la Provincia de la Nuevo-Mexico_, in _Coleccion de Doc.u.mentos del Archivo de Indias_, vol. xvi. pp. 263-266. _Obediencia y Vasallaje a Su Magestad por los Indios de San Joan Baptista._ Id., Sept 9, 1598, pp. 115, 116: "Al Padre Fray Cristobal de Salazar, la Provincia de los Tepuas (_Tehuas_) con los pueblos de Triape, Triaque el de Sant Yldefonso y Santa Clara, y este pueblo de Sant Joan Batista y el de Sant Gabriele el de Troomaxiaquino, Xiomato, Axol, Comitria, Quiotraco, y mas, la Cibdad de Sant Francisco de los Espanoles, que al presente se Edifican."

[54] _Obediencia y Vasallaje a Su Magestad por los Indios de Santo-Domingo._ Id., p. 102. July 7, 1598. _Obediencia, etc., de S. Joan Baptista_, pp. 112, 115, "los Chiguas o Tiguas."

[55] _Apuntamientos que sobre el Terreno hizo el Padre Jose Amando Niel, Doc.u.mentos para la Historia de Mexico_, 3a serie, vol. i. pp. 98, 99: "Estan pobladas junto a la sierra de Puruai que toma el nombre del princ.i.p.al pueblo que se llama asi, y orilla del gran rio." There were then three pueblos: San-Pedro, "rio abajo de Puruai;" Santiago, "rio arriba." Puaray was destroyed and in ruins in 1711. It was here that Father Augustin Ruiz was killed in 1581. Fray Geronimo de Zarate Salmeron, _Relacion_, etc., p. 10. Fray Agustin de Vetancurt, _Menologio Franciscano_, pp. 412, 413. Jean Blaeu, _Douzieme livre de la Geographie Blaviane_, Amsterdam, 1667, p. 62, calls the Tiguas "Tebas," and says they had "quinze bourgades." Vetancurt, _Menologio_, but princ.i.p.ally _Cronica de la provincia del Santo Evangelio de Mexico_, gives the Tiguas, before 1680, the following stations and pueblos: Isleta, Alameda, Puray, and Sandia, pp. 310-313.

[56] _Relacion_, etc., p. 10.

[57] A. S. Gatschet, _Zwolf Sprachen aus dem Sudwesten Nord-Amerika's_, Weimar, 1876, p. 41.

[58] Castaneda, i. cap. xix. p. 116.

[59] Simpson, _Coronado's March_, pp. 336.

[60] Castaneda, i. cap. xiii. p. 76.

[61] _Spanish Conquest_, cap. xxiii. p. 180, note 5, p. 181, note 6.

[62] Castaneda, p. 76.

[63] Isleta is probably a modern _pueblo_, that is one erected since 1598 and previous to 1680, and I shall treat it as such till I am better informed. The description by Vetancurt ("_Cronica_," etc., trat. iii.

cap. v. pp. 310 and 311, as in the year 1680) is characteristic: "Formase un rio de la nieve que se derrite, que con el rio Norte cercan un campo de cinco leguas ... Es el paso para las provincias de Acoma, Zunias, Moqui ..." In a straight line, the distance from Bernalillo is about twenty-five miles.

[64] p. 76. "Le general remonta ensuite la riviere, et visita toute la province jusqu'a ce qu'il fut arrive a Tiguex."

[65] p. 76. "Ils apprirent qu'en descendant la riviere ils trouveraient encore d'autres villages."

[66] Castaneda, ii. cap. iv. p. 168.

[67] Cap. vi. p. 182, part ii. In looking at the map, it will be seen that Bernalillo is, indeed, a central point. Along the Rio Grande it is almost at equal distances from Taos at the north, and Socorro at the south, whereas it is little further (in an east-westerly line) from Bernalillo to Zuni, than from Bernalillo to the plains. The accuracy of Castaneda becomes more and more wonderful, the closer his narrative is studied and compared with the country itself. His distance exceeds the bee-line regularly almost by one-third; a very natural fact, since he computes the lengths from the routes taken.

[68] These facts are taken from the following pa.s.sages of Castaneda: i.

cap. xviii., ii. cap. vi., Queres; i. cap. xxii, ii. cap. vi., Hemes and Aguas Calientes; ii. cap. iv., Acha; i. cap. xxii., ii. cap. vi., Braba; i. cap. xviii., Cia; ii. cap. v., Ximera; and i. cap. xxii., ii. cap.

vi., Yuque-Yunque, perhaps Cuyamunque.

[69] Santo Domingo, Cochiti, San Felipe, Santa-Ana, and Cia are the Queres pueblos near the Rio Grande still remaining. They all then existed in 1598. _Obediencia, etc., a S. Joan Baptista_, p. 113.

[70] The Jemez or Emmes, in 1598, contained nine "pueblos," or rather places of habitation. _Obediencia, etc., de Santo Domingo_, p. 102.