THE SANTA FE ROUTE. 89 
Isleta consists mainly of an Indian pueblo built on the bank of the 
river a short distance east of the railway. This pueblo may be seen 
best from points a short distance north of Isleta 
station.’ Isleta, named thus by the Spaniards on 
account of its location on an islet in the Rio Grande, 
was discovered by Coronado in 1540. It was a 
iguex village but has had accessions of Indians from 
other pueblos. At the time of the rebellion of 1680 it revolted, 
together with the other Tiguex villages of the Bernalillo and Santa 
Fe region. The Spanish governor stormed it and captured over 500 
natives. These were sent as captives to El Paso and the rest of the 
tribe fled for refuge to the Hopi pueblos in Arizona. Early in the ~ 
eighteenth century the pueblo was resettled under the name San 
Agustin de la Isleta. 
From Isleta, on the Rio Grande, which flows into the Gulf of 
Mexico, the railway begins its long journey across the interesting 
plateau country, which, with its bordering areas, extends almost to 
Colorado River, which flows into the Pacific. This vast area of high, 
nearly level country lies between the rugged and generally higher 
ranges of the Rocky Mountains to the north and the alternating 
short ranges and deserts of the lower lying north end of the Mexican 
plateau country to the south. 
This is a land of interesting landscapes, rocks, and people. In 
places the plains and cliffs are vividly colored by natural pigments of 
red and vermilion. The rocks of the plateau are surmounted by two 
large volcanic piles, which stand far above the general level of the 
plain and which were master volcanoes in but comparatively recent 
time——-Mount Taylor on the east and the San Francisco Mountains 
on the west. From the immensely thick, almost horizontal sedi- 
mentary strata that compose most of the mass of this plateau layer — 
after layer has been eroded away over wide areas, leaving remnants 
of harder strata which make picturesque cliffs and valleys and expos- 
ing fossil forests that were long ago buried in the sediments of which 
these strata are made. Erosion has also carved many canyons, 
notably the majestic Grand Canyon of the Colorado. 
Isleta. 
Elevation 4,896 feet. 
Population 1,085.* 
Kansas City 930 miles. 
2,500,000 acre-feet. This basin will hold | In January, 1915, the Elephant Butte dam 
the floods of the Rio Grande and conserve 
the water for use when needed for irri- 
gation all along the river in southern New 
Mexico and Mexico. Of course it will not 
prevent floods in the Albuquerque region 
and higher in the valley, but it will save 
that water for use in a region where it can 
be utilized advantageously for irrigation. 
was said to be about two-thirds built, and a 
large volume of water will be held in 1915. 
1 This station is at milepost 915. The 
numbering of the mileposts from Atchison 
continues south from Isleta along the El 
Paso branch line. Mileposts on the main 
line west of Isleta indicate distance from 
Albuquerque. 
