312 NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



had a hole a toot in diameter to look through. In other places were 

 smaller holes." Clavigero, the historian, believes that this great move- 

 ment of the Aztecs from the north towards the south commenced about 

 the year of our Lord 1160, and that Casas Grandes were built by them 

 at various halts which they made in their circuitous journey towards the 

 valley of Mexico. It has been shown that in 1542 there were no 

 buildings of the size and character of the Casas Grandes, or such as are 

 found here now, in all the country called Quivira, which Castaneda 

 visited and described. So one must conclude that, so far as the Aztecs 

 are concerned, whatever they may have had to do with the building 

 of the edifices either in the Navajo country, or on the Gila, or those 

 found 250 miles northwest of Chihuahua, they never planned or con- 

 structed those at Gran Quivira. 



History represents that Vasquez de Coronada, finding no gold during 

 his great expedition, returned to Mexico, where he fell into disgrace and 

 died in obscurity. 



The Spaniards did not return to colonize the province of New Mexico 

 until the year 1581 ; and the country could not be considered as con- 

 quered until 1595. For eighty-five years after this the colony seems to 

 have prospered and to have grown in power. Towns and villages 

 were built, and valuable mines of gold and silver were found and 

 worked with success. The Catholic clergy were aided in their efforts to 

 convert the Indians to Christianity by the government, at whose expense 

 large churches were erected in different parts of the province of New 

 Mexico, corresponding with the 7nissions, which were built for the same 

 purpose and at about the same period in the other provinces of Texas- 

 and Cahfornia. It was daring this time, doubtless, that the large edi- 

 fices at Abo, Quarra, and Gran Quivira were erected. It is more than 

 probable that valuable mines of the precious metals were found in their 

 vicinity, and worked under the direction of the Spaniards by the Indians 

 who had been subjugated ; for there is every reason to believe that the 

 mountains east of the Rio Grande are at this day rich in gold and 

 silver. 



It appears that daring these eighty-five years the Spaniards treated 

 the Indians with the most cruel oppression, until finally the latter re- 

 volted against them. The night of the 13th of August, 1680, was the 

 time set throughout all New Mexico, when the Indians should rise 

 and make an indiscriminate massacre of all the Spaniards in the 

 country. This plot was made known to Don Antonio de Otermin, then 

 the governor and military commandant of the province, by two Indian 

 chiets. Ever}'- effort was made for defence and to avert the coming 

 storm, but witliout success. The Indians rose as agreed upon : after 

 various conflicts, they destroyed great numbers of the inhabitants ; and, 

 finally, by the latter end of September of that year, succeeded in dri- 

 ving all the rest, with Governor Otermin included, to El Paso del Norte, 

 entirely beyond the confines of the territory. 



We have been informed that there is now a tradition amongst the 

 Indians, that as soon as their forefathers had become successful in ex- 

 pelling the Spaniards, they filled up and concealed all traces of the 

 mines where they had toiled and suffered for so many years ; declaring 



