Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-11-13
NEW MEXICO.

with COPY ofthe following interesting "'@' "
the Chief Of the Typographical Bureau:
SANTA Fc, NEw Mr1lco, Sept. %, io49.
I S.R:'Onlhe i4th VI August had The honnl 10
submit my maps and report OF The ruu e IRON
Fo,l Smith 20 Santa Fe, ard also TO enclose an
nrder from Lieu enani Colonel Washington,
commanding this department, directing me 10
| accompany him in an expedition TO the NsValoe
country. This expedition has been efeced. and,
! as think, wi b important results. treaty has
been made by which The Nagajoes acknowledge
| the right Of the Government OF The United States
10 establish military posts, Indian agencies, and
trading houses among then; fix and mark boun-
daries between themselves and other; interfere
in and control their political relations WIN
neghborng tribes; and in general exercise all
that fostering care which il has Teen IN the habit
Decreasing towards the Indian Tribes bordering
the States. In addition 10 this knowledge ci
the country has been drained, in regard 10 To-
calies, routes, mountain passes, geological tor
nations, soil, timber, plants, ancieht RUNS, ana
aacen, inscriptions, which cannot but bc.oi The
highest value 10 geography and history.
The expedition consisted of artillery and in-
fantry, (resulars,) volunteers, Pueblo and Mex
can militia, and, inclusive vi employees in The
QuarleimasIrr's Department, numbered prooa.
bly, about four hundred men. II Started from
! here on the 10Th OF Auscsi, and returned on the
|
suulbwardly, via Sano Domingo, 10 Janez; and
thence. in general terms north Vi ives, over ind
| through series Of arroYas, canons, mesas, and
| mruulain passes-lucaiies and names unknown
10 science-tu the mouth OF the renowned canon
OF Chaille, pronounced Chay.e) the ermina.
lion of our march westward, ard The place where
the uealy was negotiated. The return route lay
more soulhwaidly, and was by The way OF the
Pueblos Of Zlni and Laguna, 10 Albuquerque,
and thence 10 this place. Inc Whole distance 10
| the mouth OF the canon Ci Chaille from SANTA
| Fe was by The outward route, 279 miles; by the
return route 307 miles. Total length Of march
$50 miles.
All along the route we met with objects Of
interest; but what probably excited more than
any Thing else, was a series OF ruins in tine canpn
Of Chaco, which, doubtless, from tfeir locality,
appearance, and numbers, are the veritable re
mains of the Az,ecs Of The 12la century The
locality of which on the authority of some Of
the maps, Humboldt has ascrbed 10 the gicinage
of the very spot where they we're found. These
ruins are of az exceedingly interesting charac-
Ter, both on account of the mechanical skill aud
taste which they display, and Of the undoub cd
evidence VIII CHI they furnish OF having been
erected al very remote period. The Indians
OF The present day know nothing Of them, except
that, according 10 tradition, they were once To-
habi,cd by people which came from the North
that Mon,ezuu1a was the Governor OF this peo-
pie; aud that, after living tore for period,
they dispersed some eastwardly towards the
Rio Grande, and others sculhwardly towards
the city Of Mexico.
! Each pueblo is single structure, covering in
some Instances as much as Two acres in extent;
discovering in places, by The still standing walls,
Jour sloyie, in height, aud couaini: e as many as
three and tour hundred rooms. The main walls,
plain surfaces throughout their whole extent on
Inc exterior, are very neatly three leei thick a,
base and retreat on The inner side by series of
| small joys from bottom 10 Top, thus lessening the
thickness gradually from The bottom upwards
The whole STRUCTURE is built Of a beautifully com
nact lamelar sandstone the inner portion OF
This kind If s;one and oil clay mortar; and The
outer portion faced with pieces OF rectangular
e1ac;ness, and 50 Thin that three inches may be
considered as their maximum thickness, ard
three quarters OF an inch their least. The GER
eral appearance OF the face OF the building al a
lille distance of is lhst ut magnificent piece
| OF mosaic work.
Another object Of interest which the expedition
| has enabled US to see, was The tat famed canan OF
| Chaie, which has ever been regarded as The
stronghold Of the Nayajoes. on account OF The i'm.
mense depth and inaccessibilily o, lis walls and
the inprrgnable fon which il was said 10 con,
lain. The iGea III The er'sfsnce Of the lori We
are now enabled 10 explode; The security which il
IS capable OF af3rdns 10 The Navajoes we find
| has been oyerrated bu! The depth and sublimity OF
he canon, so far from having been TOO greatly mag
ni.led, are now Tree 10 acknowledge very much
surpassed our expectations. THIS canon will be
regarded as one oil The prime objecs Of curiosity
J cur country affords, and will ever command The
| attention oil the eeologisi AMI tourist.
| A third object OF interest which The expedition
has brought 10 light is The existence Of rock, of
magnificent proportions and OF fair surface, upon
when we're found inscribed, in some ins,ances,
in beautiful and deeply en.raren characters, the
names ,oi Number. oil persons Ut rank and OF
Distinction, in connection with he dales oil their
passing by The locality, and some other inciden-
lal illusions 10 occupation and history. One Of
these dates reaches rs far back as 1906, and there
are a number OF others OF this and the succeeding
century, Ii is not a. all improbable that these
| inscriptions may be found OF value in The sueees.
lion or establishment vi some point Or points OF
history and as such arc 10 be regarded with al.
leniion and interest. Fac smiles OF all these in
scrptions have had taken. as we'll as awnings
made OF every important object oil natural curi.
osity, and plans and drawings made OF all The
principal ruins which have come under our OBJ
| servaliOn.
| A luII map, giving all the positions Of our Sc
.
accidents OF ground, the localities OF The several
Objects Of interest and curiosity, well as full
report OF The route, ruins and Inscriptions 10 be
illustrated by sketches taken on The spot, hope
10 be able 10 furnish for The use Of The Govern.
msnt in The course OF one or TWO mon'hs.
Another malier oil interest which has been
evolved by The expedition, and which | have
come near forgetting, but which probably stand,
foremost in point Of value, is The belief that we
.xNs,i H. L. -
ern delour made by Colonel Cooke from Sania
Fe, and The northern one called Inc Spanish
lrail rou;e, sand 10 be equally long 1t Is very
certain that, from Santa Fe TO Zun distance
OF near TWO hundred miles ard in an almost di
reel course 10 the city OF Angels, we lra7efsed a
well waIered, wooded, and pasnred route, which,
with very liule labor, ca be made an excellent
wagon road. And our guide, Canavahal, in
formed me that lrcm Znui, which s;ants upon
the Rio Zlai, tributary OF The Colorado, run
ming efHcraliya direct wrstwaTdly course 10 the
Colorado, and which he has followed down 10
liz mouth frcm Zuni 10 the Colorado, by way oil
the Rio Zlni, The road is equally practicable
tor wagons, and abounds 10 the necessary guam.
tum OF wood, grass, and waier II Sc, and the
route can be as avordbly extended from the
Colorado westward TO the Pacific, of which
nave very little doubt, there is M question but
that a wagon roule has been obtained which can
not but shorten the distance 10 San Francisco at
least from three 10 four hundred miles, il not
more.
n had with me in The expedition, 10 assist 10 e
in my duties, The two brothers Kern, both OF
whom were with Colonel Fremont in his last ex.
petition. And it was fortunate that my parry
was So constituted, Tor with hem was enabled
10 keep up the topography OF The route pusled
by The troops, and at The same time separaie my>
self for one TT two days together from the CONS
mand 10 eXplo.e The ruins and remains OF which
have already made mention
Enciosed have the honor to forward a copy
oil an order this day received from Col. Wash
ins'on. The reconnaissance which this order Ie-
quircs Of me will probably employ me Tor ten Or
twelve days; bui, in The meantime, my assistants
will continue 10 be engaged upon the maps ant
drawings OF The expedition o! which | have al,
ready made cuIsory report.
am, sir, very respectfully. your obedirnl ser
want, ]. Fl. SIMPSON,