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Pecos, once a fortified town, is built, on a promontory or rock, 

 somewhat in the shape of a foot. Here burn-edj until within seven 

 years, the eternal fires of Montezuma, and the remains of the 

 architecture exhibit, in a prominent manner, the engfaftment of 

 the Cafliolic church upon the ancient religion of the country. At 

 one end of the short spur forming the terminus of the promontory, 

 are the remains of the estuffa', wath all its pants distinct; art the 

 other are^t}ie remains of the Catholic church, both showing the dis- 

 tinctive marks and emblems of the two religions. The fires from 

 the estuffa burned and sent their incense through the same altars 

 from w^hich was preached the doctrine of Christ. Two religions 

 so utterly different in theory, were here, as in all Mexico, blended 

 in harmonious practice until about a century since, when the town 

 was sacked by a band of Indians. . ^ ^ 



h Amidst the havoc of plunder of the city, the faithful Indian man^ 

 aged to keep his fire burning in the estuffaj and it was continued 

 till a few years since — the tribe became almost extinct. Their de- 

 votions rapidly diminished their numbers, until they became so few. 

 as to be unable to keep their immense estuffa (forty feet in diame- 

 -ter) replenished, when they abandoned the place and joined a tribe 

 .of the, original race over the mountains, about sixty miles south. 

 'The^f, it is said, to this day they keep up their fire, which has 

 never yet been extinguished.' The labor, w^atchfulness, and expo- 

 sure to heat consequent on this jyactice of their faith, is fast re- 

 ducing this remnant of the Montezuma race; and a few years will, 

 in all probability, see the last of this interesting people. T^e ac- 

 companying sketches w^ill give a much more accurate representa- 



1 any written d'escriptions. The ren^ains of 

 the modern church, with its crosses, its cells, its dark mysterious 

 corners and niches, differ but little from those of the present day 

 in New^ Mexico. The architecture of the Indian portion of Ihe 

 ruins presents peculiarities worthy of notice. 



Both are constructed of the same materials: the walls of sun- 

 dried brick,- the rafters of well-hewn timber, which could never 

 have been hewn by the miserable little axes now used by the Mex- 

 icans, w^hich resemble, in shape and size, the wedges used by our 

 farmers for splitting rails. The cornices and, drops of the archi- 

 trave in the modern church, are elaborately carved w4th a knife. " 

 To-night we found excellent grass 'on the Rio Pecos, abreast of 

 the ruins where the modern village of Pecos is situated, wnth a 

 very inconsiderable population. 



August IS, 'We were this morning 29 miles from Santa Fe. 

 Reliable information, from several sources, had reached camp yes- 

 terday and the day before, that dissensions had arisen in Armijo's 

 camp, which had dispersed his army, and that he had fled to the 

 south, carrying all his artillery and 100 dragoons with him. Not 

 a hostile riflle or arrow^ was now betw;een*the army and Santa Fe 

 the capital of New Mexico, and the general determined to make 

 the march in one day, and raise the United States flag over the 

 palace before sundown. New horses or mules w^ere ordered^for the 



.artillery, and every thing was braced up for a forced march. The 



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