The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-21

phical EuEiaecrs, (whO was concernsd with Lieu
tenant Albert, Of the same corps; ~ making a re-
years l64S-,4T,) and which published in speech
delivered by me In the House, March J, ls4s, that
gentleman remarks; ,fsaftv.s. asG .S .n,a ss .s
I" With respect 10 the connexion of New Mexico
with other parts of the continent LIST. The near
est settlements to the wet those the Pacific,
distant six hundred or seven hundred miles, and
separated by a desert, with reference to which
Kit Carson remarked, that any party crossing It
was bound to eat mule I'd. The town Of Chi
huahua 10 distant from the most southern settle
nent Of New Mexico 400 miles, and most Of the
intervening country is desert. The traders
usually from thirty to forty days transporting
loads from Santa Fs to chihuahua. Sd. To the
east the nearest settlements at present
8 own western border, the distance from Fort Lea
venworth being S13 miles, via Bents Fort. In
= course Of time our western settlements may be
extended some two hundred or three hundred
miles westward, to the eastern borders of the
great DESERT still there will be five hundred
. miles of portage. Thus may consider New
Mexico as completely isolated from the rest OF the
continent"
Mr.. Gregg. in his Commerce of the Prairies,
page 1877, speaking Of the same subject, says.
" New Mexico possesses but few of those natural
advantages which are necessary to any thing like
rapid progress in civilization. Though bounded
north and east by the territory of the United
States, south by that of Texas and Chihuahua,
and west by Upper California, it is surrounded
by chains OF mountains and prairie wilds, extend
ing to the distance Of five hundred miles or more,
except in the direction of Chihuahua, from which
its settlements separated by an unpeoplcd dcs-
ert Of nearly two hundred miles, and without
single means of communication by water with
any other part of the world"
Mr.. Gregg is mistaken i'm the assertion that Chi
huahua is separated from New Mexico 'by an un-
pcopled desert of nearly two hundred. miles"
There is that extent of desert, and more too, be-
tween Santa Fe and Chihuahua, but it is broken
into three parts, above FL Paso, called ''Jorna
do del Muerto," and two below that point with
intermediate settlements, particularly on the Rio
Grande.
2. The surface and soil Of New Mexico, and the
extent to which it is susceptible OF cultivation.
The whole cxpanse comprised within the province
is very large and is believed to be about one hun
bred and fifty thousand square miles. The only
parts which susceptible of cultivation are TO be
found in the southwest corner OF the Territory,
containing not exceeding twenty five thousand
square miles, which are divided unequally by the
Rio Grande running across the region now indi
Gated from north to south and towards the western
border. 1t is exceedingly mountainous, and the
country rises very rapidly from the river in both
directions. Lieutenant Peck, in the letter above
referred TO- says that ga large portion Of this area
is made up Of rocks, sands, and desert wastes. If
you cast your eye on the map you will see, from
the position of the towns, where the arabic land is
found. narrow strip along the Del Nore, with
a few detached patches here and theirs upon the at
fucnts Of the same river constitutes 1t all; for there
is very little land not already improved that is
worth occupying.
3. Climate and ardity-necessity OF irrigation.
''The general character of this Department., (says
MIR. Ruxton, page 1917
els extreme aridity of soil, and the consequent
being thickly settled. The valley of the Del
Norte is fertile but of very limited extent and the
other portion Of the province is utterly valueless
in an agricultural point OF view
Humboldt Tin his New Spain, VOL 2, p. 26s)
says:
he ,hnlc IF 10 IN, oP
alarming state Of aridity; for the noun tains De
los Mansos, situated to the east of the road from
Durango to Santa Fe, do not give rise to single
brook. Notwithstanding the mldness of the eli
mate, and the progress of industry, great part
of this country will never admit OF any consider
able population
Lieutenant Peck, in the same letter, says
"The want of water (for every crop must be
watered artifically) will fix a limit, and that a
very narrow one, to the tillabe land. For exam
Pile, on the western eide of the Rio del Norte, you
will notice that the little settlements all at the
heads Of the streams and in the mountain valleys;
lower down, though the courses of the streams
are marked, they never contain any water, ex-
ccpt during freshets; all ia absorbed by the deep
sands"
The same officer, in speaking of the valley in
which Taos is situated. (Abert's Rep, Elk. Doc,
30th Cong, Let scss No. Al, p. 1901 Gays
cit may be eight or ten miles from east to west
and seven eight miles in width from north to
south, embracing about sixty square miles. Only
small portion of this is under cultivation, or,
indeed, ever can be, as no rain falls here except
during the wet season. IL is necessary to irri-
gate all the cultivated land, AND the small supply
of water fixes limit, and that very narrow
one, to all the ullabo land"
Mr.. Gregg, in his Commerce of the Prairies,
page $50, says
.'The necessity OF irrigation has confined. and
no doubt will continue to conhne, agriculture
principally to the valleys of the constantly flow
ing streams In some places the crops are fire.
qucntly cut short by the drying up of the
streams"
4. The number, extent, and value of its streams
MIR. Gregg, in the work already quoted, pages 1875,
lao, says;
"There is not a single navigable stream in New
Mexico The famous Rio del Norte ia SO shallow
for the most part of the year, that Indian canoes
can scarcely float upon it. Its navigation is also
obstructed by frequent shoals for more than
thousand miles below Santa Fe.
Notwithstanding the numerous tributary
streams which would be supposed to- pour their
contents into the Rio del Norte, very few reach
their destination before they completely
hausted Rio Puerco, called from the extreme
muddiness ofits waters, would seem TO form
exception 10 the rule. Yet this, also, although at
least hundred miles in length, is dry at the mouth
for portion of the year. The creek of Santa F6 it.
self, though bold and dashing rivulct in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the mountains, sinks into in
significance, and s frequently lost altogether, be-
fore II reaches the main river. Pccos
and Choncos may be considered the first constant
flowing incts which the Rio del Norte receives
from Santa re south-say for the distance Of FIVE
hundred miles. IL is, then, no wonder that this
great river OF the north decreases in volume Of
water as IL descends. In fact above the region
of Underwater, IT is almost everywhere fordablc
during most Of the year, being seldom ever knee
deep, except at the time of freshcts."
Lieutenant (now Colone) Emory, in bis report,
(ES. Doc. 3Oth Cong, LIST scss., No. Al, p. 46,)
says:
1--WE crossed the Rio Grande del Nortc at Albu-
querque. It's width was about % yards, and It's
deepest part just up TO the hubs Of the wheels. 1t
ia low at present, but at no time, we learned,
is its rise excessive-scarcely exceeding or
two feet"
The same officer, in the report already referred
10, page i6l, says
''In many places the waters Tof the Rio Ghlistcol
arc absorbed by the sandy coil over which they
have to flow; but water is always found by fol-
lowing up the bed of the stream"
The same, at page f65
eve now bore due west, and at four o'clock
reached the Pucrco. After strict search up and
down the river for several miles, we formed our
camp near little pool of water, the only we
could find.
"We had been travelling ALL dav ION the wcst