American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-08-21
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH
i , For the American Telegraph. ~ " "
NOTES ON NEW MEXICO-No. ID.
BY HENRY HARDY.

F- ~ Fstr
From Bernalillo to Sandia, a little pueblo
looking village, more Indian than Mexican, and
for that reason more thrifty is called six miles.
Sand and gravel, very heavy to, travel, compose
much much Of the way. Sandia gives its name to the
mountain just east Of it, but derived that name
for itself from the plentiful cultivation Of water
melons which formerly prevailed just below it
ON the rivers edge e5samdiao being the Spanish
for watermelon. 4 We remained but yerylfew
minutes IN this little place., which had nothing
worth notice in or about it, except that the
corrals for stock, and the cribs and dcontriVances
for saving fodder, were more numerous, better,
and better filed than if the inhabitants had
been more. purely Mexican. Ii is twelve miles
from Albuquerque, most of the road being level,
but much blocked in places by large mounds of
pure sand blown up in by-gone years from the
bed of the river which then ran differently from
what it now does. There are also many large
areas covered with the nitrous effloreseence so
common in all this region, and so injurious to
the growth OF useful vegetation. In the better
spots, as at Alameda, considerable tracts well re-
pay the labor and attention of the farmer, and
the country within three miles of Albuquerque
may be considered as really fine, which is to be
accounted for by its being very level and thus
capable Of irrigation .-..a...
Il We arrived in Albuquerque position
we had long been able to mark by reason Of the
tall lag-staH, with the waving stars and stripes
at its head, which stands in the centre Of the
town---at about midway between noon and sun
set. But for the air Of life and hustle lent to
it by the presence Of some companies Of infan-
try and dragons stationed there in barracks,
Albuquerque would be the jdulest of the dull.
But the drillings, and marchings, and displays
of the soldiery the smitings and hammerings
Of the blacksmiths, and carpenters and wheel
wrights; the rushing and driving of the foragers
and teams; the going and coming of carriages,
carretcllas, ambulances, CARTS tumbrils, wagons,
carretas, and what not-manage to keep post
like Albuquerque comparatively lively. 1t has
quite a large plaza, but contains very few shops
or stores, and those quite mean. GtaG ..3
The officer In command Of the post when i
was there was Major Howe, of the Cd dragons.
had met him in Santa Fe at the Governors.
lie kindly invited myself and fellow travellers
to his quarters, very commod and comfort
able ones, and, discharging the usual hospitali-
ties, introduced us to his accomplished and
beautiful wife, Long used as / had been to see
few else than the more or less dingy and vul-
gar Mezicands, the presence and conversation of
so charming lady as Mrs. Howe, radiant with
intelligence spirit, and true feminine refine
lment, produced in me quite an excitement,
which subsidized, when it did, into a conviction,
possibly too one-sided and severe, of the vast
inferiority of the Mexican sex to their Anglo
Saxon sisterhood. 1 also met in Albuquerque
with young gentleman, a native of Washing
ton, with whom had prior acquaintance, en-
gagged in mercantile establishment. Poor
youth though in high health at the time / saw
him, with every rational prospect of q long life
before him, ne has since been compelled TO sue
Al -. Sc,
mortal! Erysipelas was the form the destroyer
assumed. ..s. a.s a4
Albuquerque being the last post north of
Socorro at which forage for our animals could
be obtained from Government stores, laid in
tolerably largely, by virtue of general order
with which l had been furnished at Santa Fe.
This done, and the animals hitched in, the word
was onWQrd! it being my object to gain Para
jita, nine miles from Albuquerque, that night.
This place is situated on the west side Of the Rio
Grande, and as therefore the river was to be
crossed, We obtained from Major Howe q guide,
without whose assistance we should have found
the task greater than it turned out to be, or
perhaps we could not have performed it at all,
for our mules were unused to enterprises Of the
sort The river flowed in four channels, occu-
Ipying n width in all of about half mile. We
found the right bank the edge of vast plain
of almost pure river sand, quite incapable of
cultivation. 1t was severe pulling. For more
than three hours did we plod along the dreary
and savage way to Parajita, most of the dis
tance fanked to our left by an dce7uid, cut to
carry water from the river 70 the fields of Pa
rajita and Isleta. All along here is quite a
chosen field of Indian assault. The Navajos
come down within sight of. the American flag,
and steal, capture, and slay what and whom
they will, too often without reprisal or chas-
tisement
Between nine and ten o'clock at night, in
doubt whether we had taken the right road
through a region SO waste end guideless we
happily alighted upon the miserable village of
Panjita There are hardly half a dozen trees
of any kind in the place, and there seems to be
a struggle to keep it from being the prey of the
dusty desert which commences Immediately on
its right. Our host for the night was one of
those enterprising young Americans who, having
formed part of the strength of the corps that
invaded and took the country from the Mexi-
can republic, remained in it after the peace,
and married into the wealther Mexican fami-
lies who, in most instances, seem to be quite
satisfied with, if not proud of such alliances.
lie had commenced building new establish
ment, in order to have his family to himself
for they were living with his father-in-law--
and suppose has gone to housekeeping before
now. We were very Hospitality treated indeed
and honored with much politeness from Senores,
father and son. The lady who formed tho link
of kinship and interest between our American
host and the family was not to be seen; for a
day or two before she had presented her An
glo-Saxon lord with an heir Of which irstling
Of the flock he could not forbcar speaking with
q moderated rapture. OF course we congratu-
lated him in due form.
asked my friend, who, amongst his other
buildings, was erecting store, if so unhopoful
looking place az Parajita could make it worth
his while to do business there? He told
mo to my surprise, that from ten to twenty
thousand dollars of goods per annum could be
cot off there, and to good profit. The bust
ness did not depend uron Parajitn pronounced
Paraheeta) alone, but customers came from
great distances The Mexicans buy freely, es-