The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-03-28
Mr.. callatiu ON California.

Mr.. Gallatin has for the last two years been en-
ployed on the memoir which has just been pun
isded in the Transactions of the American Eth
biological Society. The memoir is taken up with
geographical notices of California, and with &C.
counts of the Indian nations, their languages and
means of subsistence. The work was wholly pre-
pared and printed before the recent gold discoveries
in California, but the publication was delayed, be-
cause Of the authors illness, and consequent ina
Nbility to complete one Of the maps. One of the
chapters in fact, the most interesting treats of
the ancient standardization of New Mexico, the
Rio ella and its vicinity. The accounts from the
old Spanish authorities are given, showing that
Nuno de Guzman established colony two hundred
leagues north of the city of Mexico aseariy as looo.
The native tribes cultivated maize, beans and pump
kins as far as this, and even to greater distance
northwardly. No other signs OF civilization We're
exhibited by them. In the upper valley of the Rio
del Norte, however, from latitude 80 to $50, were
found Indians who, though some seven hundred
miles from the Mexicans, had reached civiliza-
ton inferior to that of Guatemala, but superior to
any other native tribe of North America. The
most important expedition after that of Nuno de
Guznan was Coronado's, in 1904 The explor-
ers of Coronado's expedition saw and heard OF
abundance of gold and silver among the people
thew visited; and the names of towns and cities
mentioned by them still exist in the vicinity of the
ella, though they have not been visited in modern
times. fact is mentioned which seems to imply
that the gold regions of the Sacramento were
known to the IndiAs at that time. IAN Indian
trader related that his father traded northwardly
to a country whence he brought gold and silver ;
that he had accompanied him, and had seen towns
as large as Mexico. There were seven of these,
and, in order to reach them, it was necessary to
travel forty days, through desert country The
Spanards tried to reach the gold regions, but failed
The accounts of the people and country given by
Castaneda, who accompanied Coronado, are In
singular accordance with those of Col. Emory and
Lieut. Albert Again, in ITS, two Catholic priests,
Pedro Font and Garces, passed through this region,
on their way to California. These missionaries left
a manuscript account of their travels Father
Garces visited town of the Moqui, on the Rio de
Yaauerila, a tributary Of the Colorado. I" where ne
found an Indian town. with two large squares,
houses several stories high, and parallel Streets
Every evening the people met on the terraces,
which are the roofs of the houses" On the south
of the ella were found peaceful cultiyators Of
the soil, well clothed, and near the Casas Grandef
two or three thousand, in villages called Uturien
and Sutaquisan. The character of the natives was
mild and loyal" Messrs. Gregg and Farnham have
passed over this country, and more recently Ere
mont, Albert and Emory have thrown additional
light on the country and people. From all these
accounts, old as well as new, Spanish as well al
American there is region still unexplored, extend
ing from the head of the Gulf of California, hav
ing for its southern line the river ella, thence t.
the Rio Grande, and again north about 500 miles.