

232 NEW TEACKS IN NOETH AMERICA. 



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the farthest hOuse in the place north, south, east, and west, 

 and not from the church (generally placed in the centre of the 

 . village), but also 1,000 yaras more, and shall be authorised to 

 mark off as many more varas of land as shall appear neces- 

 sary without limitation." 



The size of these grants differs considerably amongst the 

 pueblos. In eight pueblos each grant covers between 17,000 

 and 18,000 acres; Isleta contains 110,000 acres; Santa 

 Domingo, 74^000 acres; the smallest is 13,000 acres. Most 

 of them date back to 1689, two years after the passing of the 

 above Act. The date of the patent of Sandia is 1748. Thus, 

 then, we have a distinct acknowledgment by the Spanish 

 government of the necessity for granting special licenses to 

 this industrious and semi-civilised people. 



One of the greatest evils, however, which existed, under 

 Spanish rule was the almost entire absence of responsibility 

 in officers sent out to govern the remote provinces. However 

 poor the masses became, the men in office must grow rich. 

 It mattered but little how much native labour was consumed, 

 so long as the coffers of the wealthy were rapidly replenished. 

 And thus it happened that the Pueblo Indians gradually 

 decreased ; wars and slavery did their worst, until they were 

 unable in many places even to hold their otsti against the 

 "Apaches, who, quick in discovering the weakness of their 

 neighbours, did not hesitate, we may be sure, in trying to 

 complete their ruin. 



All the pueblos situated along the Eio Yerde, the Salinas, 

 and other northern branches of the Gila were from their 

 position most exposed to attack. The dead tell no tales ; 

 but if those ruins could speak, 1 think they might relate 

 dismal stories of crops yearly destroyed all aroimd them, of 

 cattle run off by thousands, of famished childi-en calling for 



