American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-08-15
For the American Telegraph. t fe.
NOTES ON NEW MEXICO-No. 18.
BY HENRY HARDY.

BY HENRY HARDY A-a+ s#.hs
The canon along the bed of which the Rio
Ghetto flows is in some places very rugged and
difficult of travel with wheel carriages In any
other country than New Mexico, way so much
travelled would have been smoothed ages ago,
but long distant is the day before road improve
ments need be there looked for. to any extent.
Many of the views along this great natural pas
sage would be renowned if they were to be seen
| in the United States, on account of their bold
and cimarron character. We were glad when
distant view of the mountain wall west Of the
Rio Grande, told us that we were approaching
the outlet of this canon. Contrary to what is
often the case with New Mexican streams, the
Chicito has got to be considerably increased by
the time it arrives at the last crossing. We
leave it to enter upon great plain, bounded
by the Sandia Mass on the south and east, and
the river on the west On the right, and at the
mouth of the Ghetto, is the little villageo Of Pena
Blanca, which looks, as usual with New Mexican
communities miserable enough. But here for
the first time, could we clearly make out the
fiow of the Rio Grande; the circumstance was
an epoch.
Next beyond this we passed the pueblo Of
Santo Domingo, at the mouth of Galisteo creek,
which | believe was quite dry at the time
| Santo Domingo appears to be something larger
than Pena Blanca, and to contain larger build
ings, but we did not enter the place. 1t is
mostly inhabited by Indians. LOO
Some six miles or so from Santo Domingo is
the picturesquely situated pueblo of San Fe-
lppe. 1t is posted very close to the left or
east bank of the Del Norte, and its main build
ing, constituting the pueblo proper, is very
large and high, consisting of successive stories,
on the principle of the hives of the termites or
African ants, described by travellers was
much pleased with the country approaching
San Felipe. For three or four miles the plain
stretches to about mile and half wide, and
in many parts the soil appears to be superior,
and passably well cultivated, for it is cut up all
over with oceqdds or channels for irrigation.
As you near the village, the road passes under
| a singular looking mountain, its form at dis
\ tance being that Of perfectly troncated cone,
| fiat and smooth at top, standing up in the mid
die Of the valley, and blocking out the contn-
uous view down the river. Atthe southern end
Of this semi-conical mound the road passes the
bed Of n dry arroyo, some hundreds Of yards
wide, which in the time of freshets must pre-
| sent a formidable obstacle to travelling. Here
on the left, the aspect of the country is very
savage and dreary, which, by the way, is not
out Of keeping with its history, for it has suf-
| iered much from Indian ravages, both Apache
and Navajo. On the opposite bank Of the Del
| Norte scarcely any interval interposes between
the river and the high table land, which ri scs
almost pcfpenuicutaly SSVcTnl Dunuftuf 1cet
above the surface Of the stream. 1t is crowned
with a series Of ediices that readily suggest
the idea of q fortress, and which look like one,
except that we see nothing of flagstaff, or
PORTFOLIOS. just along here the Del Norte has
quite Rhine-like aspect, affording an agreea-
blc relief TO the hard and fierce features pre-
| sented generally on this route. s
After laboring through three or four hours Of
hot but occasionally pleasant travelling, over some
stretches Of a capital natural road with due in
tervals of deep gravelly sand, and proportion
Of those ups and downs which the Neptunian
impressions Of the past have left upon the
earth's crust we arrived at the goal of our
humble wishes for the day, the town of .Alga-
dones. Before arriving at Algadones = so
named from its chief proprietor, for nearly all
its land, and doubtless . large part of its in
habitants, are the property Of one man--we
passed along some pleasant tracts Of river bot
| tom, and made occasional touches to the YER
liable Rio Grande itself with our right elbows.
This was quite pleasant--for il was so different
| from what we had been used to--and the river
was alive with wild ducks and geese, and what
4 ever other waterfowl are known to the country.
Some tolerably fine specimens Of cottonwood
trees were scattered here and there, giving to
this part Of the valley of the Rio Grande COM
/ paratively civilized and cultivated aspect.
We found some difficulty in getting accommo.
dations for the night but at last, succeeded in
hiring small room of about nine feet squar,
from q widow whose face, covered with tn
atrocious algeria, looked as il the epidermis hac
been peeled off otherwise she was neatly anC
even jauntily attired. VI i,aoos sli NJ
/ Having received q hint from nondescrip
genius who spoke broken English, but other
wise appeared to belong to no recognizable rae
or nation on the face OK the, earth, that v
should be careful to- leave nothing moveabl
outside our room, we tunloaded and 50 pscke
our little ouddy that but little space was LETT {
' move sbout Crest caution had 70 bs taken y
. the matter Of stable for our males, TOT w tel