New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-24
NEW.MEXICO.
"a, Pueblo Indans-Errers In the % Transacu"hs o'
the logical society"

Torffxp
NJ, attention has lately been called 70 sundry grave
errors contained in the second volume OF
IN fbe American chronological Society, published IN
aesa rtive 10 the Pueblo and wild Indians who Dhabt
<hs immediate country. Being on the spot, where
have hsd ample opportunity to understand mucn OF tue
habits progress in civilization and general character OF
ns.e Indians shall venture to offer few criticisms
a. The ed6cation of your readers The Pueblo Indians
N this Territory are certainly most remarkable race
.nd Tins far all the efforts Of EtbnOlogsts have sgnaly
6ed TO give their probable origin. or to conjecture TO
what great family OF the American abognes tney are
t;udred liz habits semi-ciyZed, and in language total
diverse from the otec aud Aztec stocks with no trace
Of suy to the wild tribes that surround them they aP
near 20 be the relics of a powerful nat0n rapidly
Progressing downward to extinction.
Itmay be within the recollection ofsOme Of your read
ers that Geo f. Ruxton Esq, an Engishman, aud au-
fbor of very interesting work entitled Mexico and the
Rocky Mountains" stimulated by the accounts ne
bad received in the Valley Of the Rio Grande 10 proec
about 1913 40 witt o. the country oil the Moqes ana
Nayaos under the impression that the former tribe was
fhe remnant of lost colony Of Welshmen what ne
might have gathered relative TO these people wOud I'M
dcubeoy have been Of great advantage to the cause OF
chronological science, had bis career not been cut SNORT
by fatal disease contracted on bis way up the missouri
Ryer; but he would have been infinitely disappointed In
the expectation Of finding any relationship among the
Moquis or Navsjos to people OF white blood
1t is true that up to the last year or two few Amer
cans had visited the Country Of the Nayajos and the
Pueblo of Moqui until about this time year ago, and
therefore what published in 1913 must have been
from hearsay and the statements OF ilte ate and unrei
able persons pledge you that what has thus been puo
fished and seems have been fully credited, by the
grave and reverend senior of the chronological Society
contains scarce word oftruth in of misrepresen
tation.
What particularly refer to here is to be found in an
article on "The Progress of EthnoOg, by j. X Bart
let ESQ., and at pages 10 to 10 inclusive of that article
Quotations are made from work entitled Scenes in
the Rocky Mountains, &c by New Highlander" from
Mr. "Farnhams late work on California from " DIR.
Lymnns Report of the Navajos" and from statements
made and believed by Baron Humboldt.
The amount Of the statements made in reference to
the Moqus extracted from the above work, is that the
Marke5s (Moquis or 'cLe Indians, live in country
ssel waiered and fertile in dwellings eXcavated in the
hill sides and the solid rock. That they raise great mum
beers Of horses and cattle That they have many of the
arts and comforts of civilized life spin and weave, make
butter and cheese with many OF the tu1uies known to
eiriiised nations. That their features compare with
those of Europeans with fair complexion aud graceful
forms That they have light faxen hair, blue eyes, and
skins Of the most delicate nhness Some Ofthese Nae
kegs rs they called described wearing shoes
and stockings and their stOne houses and edces, the
construction of which is the as the Casas rande
on the banks of the Gila," arc alluded TO-
In reference to the NayajOs il is stated by the authors
mentioned above, "That they possess civilization of
their that they live in houses built OF stOnethat
they raise cattle well as horses and sheep-lnake but
ter and cheese and spin and weavethat their govern
ment is in strict accordance with the welfare OF whole
community Dishonesty is held in check by suitable
regulations industry Is encouraged by general consent
and hospitality BY common practice. That the Navajo
county is shut in by high mountains inaccessible except
by limited passes through narrow deilts, &c" Mr.
Farnam speaks of the Navaios being the most civil
lied of all the wild Indians of North America Their
extensive cultivation OF maize and all kinds of vegetables
their rearing of large droves of magnificent horses
'eguqfO the finest horses If tie United States M appearance
and paiEs, &c, &c, are also noticed"
Baron Humboldt believed shat in the Naraios and
MoQus we see thedescendents of the race of Ind
which Cortez and the Spanish c0nquer0rs found In
Mexico in a semi-civiZed state"
Mr. Bartlett the writer of this article on the Progress
0f EthnOog remarks that these accounts the Moqus
and Nayaos mghbe considered faReifM were they not
corroborated by the statements orappers and oheper
sons who have visited them. Now these statements are,
in truth nothing else than Of the most aneifu and n
correct description.
The Moquis, or MOquinos, they more properly
called in all respects tribe Of Indians, scarcely dis
G-gushabe from the wild Indians except in pecu
liar habits of dress and milder eye. Their complex
ion is dark and swarhy the hair and eyes black and in
many points OF dress they affect the same fashions
the rudest tribes Of New-Mexico. They do differ how
ever from the Navai0s Apaches and Utah Indians in
living in villages (pueblOs and in careful culture
OF the soil No approach 10 a white skin is known
among them This is entirely amythical idea anddoubt
less proceeded from the fact that among the Indians of
the Pueblo Of Zun, there few AtbiR0s doubtless
ing In underground habtations, but to cutane0us
disease. Among the MocuinOs there are, SO far as
have been able TO learn, (and have quite num-
Der Of them) no Albnos. The Indians of Moqui (ther
pueblo is situated 80 miles westward of Fort Defance)
are said correctly to subsist by agriculture and the rails
ing Of sheep and some cattle Their government prob
ably Is after the pariarchal order, and may be purely
republican in character In religion they certainly DIFF
fer but little from other Indians They have lost ali
knowledge tradition of their origin but it is
certain that their manners and customs arts and govern
ment do not at all SAVIOR of modern Europe" Officers
OF the army who have visited them say they raise cotton
IN small quantities of which they manufacture cotton
stus but the culture Of cotton has evidently been IN
troduccd from the Nev-Mexican settlements Their
dress also Is pretty correctly described by the writer's
from whom have quoted above Their country instead
OF being well watered and fertile is of the sae chsrac
Yer oil all this great range Of country, Of limited er-
NY and scantig supplied with water either for domestic
ssc OF lot irrigation They do not i've in dwellings ex-
Sa,s'eu IN the solid rock but live in village compacy
punt sne houses being like those of all the puebos in
eAso OF one to two stories and entered from the
A toPReo TOOL the ascent being by ladders laid AGAINST
the wall ihese houses are constructed Of stone and
mud They nave none Of the arts and comforts of civil
hxed me- except oy most remote approximation to such
arts and comfors they spin and weave very ralv and
no better than the NaysjOs and certainly 40 NOT msa
either butter or cheese, and have none Of the nxnas
Of civilized life. They do not wear shoes thongh ,S
knitting and of stockings is In vogue among them as
with the Indians Of the pueblo Of Zuh Lastly their
houses Of very rude construction and bear hut slight
resemblance to the Casas Grandes the ruins of which
are found all this country and upon the banks Of
the ella That they are, however, the descendants Of
the people who built the Casas Grand6s" entertain
no doubt.
In regard 10 the Nayaos have this to say from my
own observation and special inquiry, that they
branch unquestonaby Of the great Apache tribe which