120 G. F. Ruxton, Esq., on the Migration 



Mexican has not been satisfactorily ascertained ; but my im- 

 pression is, that it will be found to assimilate greatly, if not 

 to be identical. 



The Pueblo Indians of Taos, Pecuris, and Acoma, are sup- 

 posed to speak the original language, of which the tribes 

 lower down the Rio Grande, including the Pueblos of San 

 Felipe, Sandia, Ysleta, and Xemez speak a dialect. 



These Indians are eminently distinguished from the New 

 Mexicans, or descendants of the Spanish conquerors, in their 

 social and moral character, being industrious, sober, and 

 honest, the women being as remarkable for chastity as the 

 New Mexicans are notorious for the laxity of their morals ; 

 indeed, a universal concubinage exists amongst the latter, 

 the example of incontinence being set them by the priests, 

 who in these remote regions are under no supervision of 

 Church authority. 



Although most of the Pueblo Indians are nominally Chris- 

 tians, and have embraced the outward forms of the Roman 

 Catholic Church, they still cling to the belief of their fa- 

 thers, and celebrate in secret the ancient rites of their own 

 religion. The aged and devout of both sexes may still be 

 often seen on their flat house-tops, with their faces turned to 

 the rising sun, and their gaze fixed in that direction, from 

 whence they expect, sooner or later, the god of air will make 

 his appearance. 



Amongst many of the religious forms still retained by these 

 people, perhaps the most interesting is the perpetuation of 

 the holy fire, by the side of which these Indians, as did the 

 Aztecs, keep a continual watch for the return to earth of 

 Quetzalcoatr, the god of air, who, according to their tradi- 

 tions, visited the earth, and instructed the inhabitants in 

 agriculture and other useful arts. During his sojourn, he 

 caused the earth to yield tenfold productions, without the ne- 

 cessity of human labour ; everywhere corn, fruit, and flowers 

 delighted the eye ; the cotton plant produced its woof already 

 dyed by nature with various hues ; aromatic odours pervaded 

 the air ; and on all sides resounded the melodious notes of 

 singing birds. The lazy Mexican naturally looks back to 

 this period as the " golden age ;'' and as this popular and be- 



