446 Ex. Doc. No. 41. 



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" San Miguel," and thence up the valley of the Pecos. Near the 

 cemetry we noticed a number of tame pigeons; these and chickens 

 were the only fowls that we noticed. 



Our road now lay by the foot of a high bluff that raised its 

 crest 600 feet above the valley. Its sides clothed with groves of 

 cedar and pifion. The groves on each side of the road were full of 

 stellar jays, (garrulus stelleri,) red shafted flickers, and robins: 

 the woods were vocal with the varied notes of these lively birds. 



As we journeyed along we were continually seeing most motly 

 groups of human beings; sometimes we met long trains of men and 

 women mounted on mules; the seiioras with their heads enveloped 

 in their rebosas," the men with their pantaloons open at the 

 side from their hip down, thus displaying their ample drawers of 

 white linen, and with their heels armed with immense jingling 

 spurs. Sometimes we met single couples mounted on the same 

 mule. ATost of these men were armed with naked swords that lay 

 close against the saddle. At one time we passed a group of Indians; 

 they had pack mules laden with buffalo robes and meat. Their, 

 jet black hair was tied up in short stumpy queues with some light 

 colored ribbon. They told me that they were " Teguas" Indians; 

 tnat tney had been far out on the prairies trading with the Caman- 

 ches, and were now going to sell their robes in Santa Fe. 

 _ As we neared the ancient village of Pecos, we crossed the river 

 in the neighborhood of a fine spring, where we found two large 

 trains of_ wagons; one belonging to Mr. McGoffin, and the other to 

 Mr. Algier; they were repairing wheels, for the dryness of the at- 

 mosphere IS such that nearly all the wagons that cross the prairies 

 must here have the tires cut. 



In.the afternoon I went out upon the hills to see the ancient 

 cathedral of Pecos. The old building and the town around it arc 

 fast crumbling away under the hand of time. The old church is 

 built in the same style as that of " San Miguel," the ends of the 

 rafters are carved in imitation of a scroll; the ground plan of the 

 edifice is that of a cross. It is situated on a hill not far from the 

 winding course of the river. High ridges of mountains appear to 

 converge until they almost meet behind the town, and through a 

 little gap one catches sight of a manificent range of distant peaks 

 that seem to mingle with the sky. 



The village of Pecos is famed for the residence of a singular race 

 of Indians, about whom many curious legends are told. In their 

 temples they were said to keep an immense serpent, to which they 

 . sacrificed human Tictims. Others say that they worshiped a per- 

 petual fire, that they believed to have been kindled by Montezuma, 

 and that one of the race was yearly appointed to watch this fire. As 

 the severity of their vigils alwajs caused the death of the watchers, . 

 in time this tribe became extinct. Again, I have been told that- 



acreffi^°' "f "I ^T P^^.P^were left and that they:took the 

 sacred fire and went to live with the Pueblos of Zuni. 



- Jnrl^hir^'? ^^'•f gement of the surrounding country is 



;r?!^ t L''v''''''^"'i'. '>' "^"^ ^^ ^^^os, as it now lies, without 

 the least addition, would form a beautiful picture, and more than a 



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