Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-07-17


named st. Cav, and The REMAINS of !
aneientfortiticaion, supposed to ha,
been constructed BY the aboririn
Mexican Indians. The next day, aft,
crossing mountainous country, we a
rived at Santa Fe, and We're receive
with apparent pleasure and JOY. 1t
Situated in valley of the mountain
on branch of the Riodol Nor;e, g
North river and some 90 miles from i
II Is the scat of government of the PRO
vince, is about two miles long and on
mile wide, and corpactly settled
The day after my arrival, ncrcptc,
an invitation to visit the governor
whom found to be well Informed an,
genucmanly in manners; his demean.
our was corteous and friendly. lie
asked many questions respecting my
country, its people, the manner OF liv-
ing. Sc; expressed desire that the A.
mericans would keep up m intercourse
with that country, and said that ir any
of them wished to emigrate, it would
give him pleasure to afford them every
facility. The people are generally svar-
thy, and live in state of extreme in
dolence and ignorance. Their machmi-
cal improvements are very limited, and
they appear to know little Of the bene-
fit of industry or the advantage of the
arts. Corn, rice, and wheat, arc their
principal productions, they have very
few garden vegetables, except the
onion, which grows large and abundant1
ly; the seeds arc planted nearly foot
apart, and produce onions from to 8
inches id diameter Their atmosphere
is remarkably dry, and rain is uncpm-
mon, except in the months Of July
AMI August. To REMEDY this incon-
venience, they substitute, with tolera-
BILE advantage, the numerous streams
which descend from the mountains, by
dammins them up, and conveying the
water over their farms in bitches Their
domestic animals consist chiefly of
sheep, goats, mules and asses. None
but the wealthy have horses and hogs.
Lake the French, they live in villages;
the rich keeping the poor in dependence
and subsection. Laborers are hired for
about three dollars pei month their
general employment is that of herds
men, s. to guard their stock from nation
of Indians called Nayohoes, who some
times murder the guards and drive a.
way their mules and sheepl The cir
cumstance of their farrs.s being wholly
unienced, obliges them to keep their
stock some distance from home: The
walls of their houses are 2 or 8 feet
hick, built of suh-dried brick, and are
uniformly one story high, having d flat
roof made Of clay; and floors of the
same material. They do not know the
use of plank, and have neither chairs
nor tables, although the rich have n
rough imitation OF our settee, which an
swers the treble purpose of chair, table
and bedstead.
My company concluded to remain at
St. Michael, except Mr. Mclaughlin,
and we left that village December 18th,
on our return home, in CO. with two
other men who had arrived there a few
days before by d different route. At
The time we started, the snow was
eighteen inches deep, but the quantity
as we reached the high
ands, which we thought an, extra
ordinary circumstance. On the nth
lay of our journey #e arrived at the
rkansas, and thence shaped our course
over the high land which separates the
waters of that and the Cav rivers. A.
nong the Cav Indians we were trea-
ed Hospitality, purchased corn from
hem, and in forty-eight days from the
lime of our departure reached home,
much to our satisfaction; We did rot
experience half the hardships anticipa-
led on our return. We had provisions
IN plenty, but Boreas was sometimes
rude, those unwelcome visits we could |
not avoid, and whose disagreeable eff
re cts our situation often precluded US
from guarding against We had, howe
yer, but one storm of snow or rain on
our return. but were sometimes three
Or four days without a stick of timber.
In such exigencies we again had re-
course to buiialoe manure, which is n
good substitute for fuel, and emits great
heat.
Having made arrangements to return
on the a2d day of May, 1922, crossed
the Arrow-Rock ferry, and on the third
day our company, consisting OF = men,
with three icagon,, concentrated. NO
Distracted our progress un'ii
we arrived at the Arkansas, which river
we crossed with some difficulty, and
on the south side. A6ou'
midnight our horses were frightened by
o. 2 IL 4 = Dc unrH mss