PUEBLO OF ISLETA. 
61 
low as at Albuquerque. But tlie diluvial spur that limits the left bank of the arroyo, or ravine, 
stretches towards the southwest, forming a bluff hank that abuts upon the river opposite Isleta, 
an Indian pueblo about thirteen miles south from Albuquerque. The pueblo stands upon a 
gravel ridge that also terminates in a bluff twenty-one feet above the water’s edge. These 
name of Spain, and to establish colonies, missions, and presidios, (forts.) They found a great many Indian tribes and settle¬ 
ments, which they succeeded in christianizing in the usual Spanish way, with sword in hand, and made them their slaves. The 
villages of the christianized Indians were called pueblos , in opposition to the wild and roving tribes that refused such favors. 
Many towns, of which only ruins exist now, were established at that time; many mines were worked, and the occupation of the 
country seemed to be secured, when, quite unexpectedly, in 1680, a general insurrection of all the Indian tribes broke out against 
the Spanish yoke. The Indians massacred every white male, and the then governor of New Mexico, Don Antonio de Otermin, 
after a hard fight, had to retreat with his men from Santa Fe, and marched as far south as Paso del Norte, where they met with 
some friendly Indians, and laid the foundation of the present town of that name. It lasted ten years, until Spain recovered the 
whole province of New Mexico again. Several other insurrections took place after that, but none so disastrous as the first. 
However, the deep rancor of the Indian race against the white has continued to the present time, and in all the frequent and 
bloody revolutions of later years in New Mexico the pueblos generally acted a conspicuous and cruel part. There is constantly 
some distance between them and the rest of the Mexicans. They live always isolated in their villages, cultivate the soil and 
raise some stock, and are generally poor, frugal, and sober. Their different tribes, of which about twenty yet exist, are reduced 
to about ten thousand souls. They speak different Indian dialects; sometimes, too, broken Spanish. All of them know the old 
tradition of Montezuma, mentioned already in the account of the old Pecos village; but none have carried the veneration of their 
expected Saviour so far as this faithful tribe. For the regulation of their communities they select a chief or cacique, aud a coun¬ 
cil, and in war a captain. Their religious rites are a mixture of Catholicism and Indian paganism; the Spanish priests them¬ 
selves favored this combination, from policy. Their villages are built with great regularity; sometimes they have but one large 
house, with several stories, and a great many small rooms, in which the whole village is quartered. Instead of doors in front, 
they use trap-doors on the roofs of their houses, to which they climb up on a ladder, which is withdrawn in the night for greater 
security. Their dress consists of moccasins, short breeches, and a woolen jacket, or blanket; they generally wear their hair long. 
Bows and arrows and a lance, and sometimes a gun, constitute their weapons. 
“The whole population of New Mexico wms in 1193, according to a census, 30,953; in 1833 it was calculated to amount to 
52,360, and that number to consist of one-twentieth Gapuchines, (native Spaniards,) four-twentieths Creoles, five-twentieths Mes¬ 
tizos of all grades, and ten-twentieths of pueblo Indians. In 1842, the population was estimated at 51,026, and at present at about 
10,000 souls. * * * * * * * # 
“ The caravan started on the usual road, by Algodones, for the Rio del Norte. But being anxious myself to examine the cele¬ 
brated gold mines of New Mexico, the old and new Placers, in a range of mountains southwest from Santa Fe, I intended to make 
first from here this out of the way excursion, and to join the caravan afterwards on the Rio del Norte, near Albuquerque. I 
Started, therefore, in this direction, riding alone, and taking nothing along but my arms and a pair of saddle-bags. 
“The distance from here to old Placer is about 25 miles; from Santa Fe, 21. In a southern direction, I rode through the 
valley that separates the mountains east of Santa Fe from the chain of the Placers. This valley is about 25 miles broad, very 
sandy and sterile, covered with artemisia, and nearer the foot of the Placer mountains with dwarfish cedars. Travelling along 
a low chain of hills that form an outward wall to the mountains of old Placer, I passed by two springs, on the first of which I 
found sienite; on the other a fresh-water limestone. Ascending afterwards to the hills, I met everywhere with a red and brown 
sandstone, looser or more compact, and with large masses of petrified wood. From here the ascent to the mountains is rather 
rapid, till a plain is gained, from which a fine retrospective view is enjoyed towards Santa Fe, and over the whole valley. Pine 
and cedar cover the mountains all around. Slightly ascending from the plain for some miles, a narrow ravine, between high 
walls of mountains, suddenly opposes further advance, and about twenty houses are seen hanging on both sides of the narrow 
valley. This solitary place is el Real de Dolores, or, as it is commonly called, old Placer. Several foreigners live here. The 
first one I saw was Mr. Watrous, a New Englander, but for many years a resident of this country. He received me very hos¬ 
pitably, and invited me to his dwelling. Some fresh skins of grizzly bears were spread out on scaffolds ; the sure American rifle 
stood in the corner; and everything else bore the character of the backwoodsman; but, by his intelligent conversation, he showed 
himself a man of very good sense, and as an acute observer. Though Mr. Watrous had not himself been engaged in mining, he 
paid attention to his whole neighborhood, and showed me many specimens of gold ores, which, in his rambles through the 
mountains, he had collected. I took a walk with him to the nearest golden washes. The first instance of this operation I wit¬ 
nessed on the small creek that runs through old Placer. From the bed of the creek, which was in most places dry, they took up 
some of the ground, (gravel, sand, and earth,) put it in a spacious, rather flat wooden bowl, (batea,) added water, removing 
first, by stirring with the hand, the coarse pieces of gravel, and then, by well balanced shaking, all the earthy aud sandy 
particles, till at last nothing is left at the bottom but tbe finest sand, from which all the visible portions of gold are picked out. 
The poorer class of Mexicans are generally occupied with those gold washes in the creek; and they divide for that purpose the 
creek, with the water, amongst themselves, in lots, which often call forth as many claims and contests as the finest building lots 
in our cities. As the gold is apparently carried here by the waters of the creek from higher auriferous regions, the gain from 
these washings is different according to the season. The most gold is generally found in and after the rainy season, and it 
diminishes with the failing of water. Occasionally they discover a larger piece of gold in the sand ; but generally the gold is so 
divided that a whole day’s work will amount, on an average, to not more than a quarter or half a dollar. Every evening they 
sell their small gains to the storekeepers, and take provisions or goods in exchange, or receive cash for it, at the rate of sixteen 
dollars per ounce. This is the most common but least profitable way of gold washing. It may be practised on all the water¬ 
courses in those mountains, provided that there is sufficient water to wash with. In going from this to some other gold washes 
in the neighborhood, I took notice of the prevalent rocks in old Placer; they are white and yellow quartzose sandstone, quartz, 
