The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-04

these villages. There tin large AMI two smaller
ediices stsnding near the Gia the former known as the
Casa 6rande, or casa DE Monezuma,n is in good
preservation. / visited this spot took sketches
of the ruins, and have described them in detail in
my personal narrative The charred ends OF the
tInters sim in the walls show that the build
Ing was destroyed by fire. II was found In this
and the story among the Indians Of the country that
its occupants destroyed by the Apaches Between
in the State Of Chihrahua, is another and the most
southern collection Of rains which belong to the same
pie as those have described They are called Casas
STandes and also the Casas de Montezuma The modern
Mexican town near by also bears the Of Casas
Grandes and may add that is also given to consider
able river which passes it, These ruins also visited
They cover of ground about eight hundred feet in
length by two hundred and atty in BREADTH and seemed
have belonged to single edi6ce connected by corr
doris and courts From its general appearance and mode
Of building attribute 1t 10 the same civilized people OF
which have been speaking.
In the course of his remarks Mr. Bartlett exhibited
drawings Of the ruins and Of the Indian puebas referred
to- and entered into details Of EACH We omit these de-
tails for want Of the illustrations.
Slch in brief is the character Of this semi civilization
and Of its extent 1t does not extend south OF the valley
Of the CHA except in single instance where this people
seem to have broad desert like country, which
did not afford them the of subsistence, and esab
shed themselves in the most Deautiful valley OF North
ern Mexcc-that along the San Miguel Casas Grandee
river, where the extensive ruins described are found.
That you may better where inns nssrS; Is
il is proposed to purchase from Mexico The fertile
valley docs not fail within the contemplated line.
Let whether there ia any connection be-
tween the people the edces Of this northern district
and the of Mexico the arts they had acquired
The prevailing opinion among historians, Of the origin
of the Aziecs and other semi civilized nations that
pied the valley of Mexico ct the time OF tho conquest,
has been that they country called Aztlan,
Tar the north and that they arrived in the valley Of
Mexico in the year lC0 This Aztlan has been placed by
many historians north Of the gulf Of California because
crossed large river Of the sea- which IL sup
posed was the gulf named Betancourt places Aztlan
27o0 miles north of Mexico while Boturin says it
province OF ASIA and leads the people down the long
nnsula Of California; and thence by boats the gulf
to Cuacan He adduces variety of evidence to sustain
his theory, which 1t is not necessary for to repeat
Torquemada and others agree with Boturin in finding
Of the great river represented in all the
cient paintings of this migration; while tho Able Claw
gero believes that this pretended Of the aea' is
other than the representation of the universal Deluge
painted in the Mexican pictures before the beginning Of
their migration. Yet the learned Able while he believes
the Aztecs from Aztlan, and that i situated
north of the Californian gulf carries them to Mexico
by another route He takes them the Colorado river
north Of the latitude of thiry6ve degrees thence to
wards the south east far the river Ga where they
stopped for time for at present he continues
stl to be seen remains Of the great edaces built by
them to the Casas Grandcs in Chihuahua where there
are extensive ruins which I visited ard have de.
ssrDed THIS Gays agressany to the uni
cans in their reregrinations.'
The theory Of Cavgero and other writer's based chiefly
on the existence of extensive ruins the Colorado the
Ga and in chihuahua has been extensively propagated
and adopted by the learned; and recent writer's
among whom may mention the distinguished Humboldt
have designated these ruins the FIRST second and third
stopping places Of the Aztecs There il evidence to
crossed the Colorado as high as the s5th parallel or any
where else. Some found there; and ergo the
Aztecs who came there from the north built them
1t is singular that so diligent student Caygero
had not made himself better acquainted with the nuer
GUS manuscript relations preserved in Mexico and in
ruined edces throughout the California basin and in
New Mexico Of precisely the character as those
which he attributes to his Aztecs Had he done So his
theory would have demolished ITSELF for instead of three
localities or resting places for this people in direct line
from the far north he would have found traces of the
lrnea he To tho IJo
would not only have found ruins through these countries
but he would have found many tribes still occupying and
But this is not all There is no evidence to show any
connection between the semi civilized tribes of which we
are speaking and those of the valley of Mexico There
is not the least resemblance in their edidces their
style OF ornament. Their and customs their
religious rites and ceremonies equally at variancei
fact they possess nothing Uncommon Lastly there is
no affinity between the languages of any Of the
rous tribes north Of the ella and those Of the ancient
But is alone in the want Of affinity in language
or Of resemblance in manners and customs, arts and
religion thar renders the migration of the Axecs from
the far north doubtful There physical difficulties
which render it improbable, If not impossible.
bordering the Gulf of California and now known as
Mechoaean is doubtless true and that they may have
left place known as Aztlan Is also probable
who has visited the beautiful valleys of California and
breahed its delicious atmosphere-no who has ira.
versed the dcsolae and nhoitabo regions which sepa
rate that State from Northern Mexico, possibly be-
ieve Azan to have been there and that the mi
grated therefrom, without some better than
Let US imagine for moment thousands, or even
some hundreds, of Indiansor Aztecs will call them
fornia for Mexico About the latitude Los Angeles
these fertile valleys diminish disappear The country
Valleys may be found where the s Is
cultivation; but they at great distances apart and
can sustain but limited number Of people, Following
down the peninsula, where Boturni would carry Them
the desoation increases They have district of loss
than eight hundred thousand miles to traverse
over rugged mountains and through intricate Valleys
with long distances without water and where oven now
1t would be almost impossible for body of five hundred
fornia colonized century before Upper California;
unwearicd pains were taken, vast expended
and now after lapse Of two centuries the popuatiop
less than il was in its palmest days. IT does not
now, and has never yet miserable and limited its
population Isl been able to sustain ITSELF but derives
much Of its wheat and from Sonora II such is it's
present condition. and such the difficulties of subsstng
its population how much more difficult it must have
been for migrating tribe of half civilized Indians to
find subsistence there When the Aztecs get tired Of
across the gulf about one hundred and ifty miles in
width to the Mexican coast which is barren and for
bidding as that they have left But there is another
this great arm Of the sea Lower California is destitute
Of trees fit for boats nor s there any other material at
ment
Let us now see what the advantages are presented to
migrating nation from Upper California across the Colo
RADIO and Gla rivers in the line of the ruined edHces
corng the notion Of Able Cavgero and Others Thew
must first the great mountain chain known rs the
Sierra Nevada This passed. they have desert Of the
most arid Character from one hundred and fifty to three
hundred miles, to Cross, almost without vegetation and
with but little water when they reach the Colorado
short distance east Of this 1t is said they tarred be-
cause ruined edihces found there. Next they
have other barren regions from two hundred to two
hundred and fifty miles to cross, which brings
them to the ella. Here will imagine them to
tarry again, open canals for irrigation, cultivate
the soil, and rear imposing ediicos. Having become
well established, they abandon their fine lands
and houses, and again proceed south, passing broad
deserts and barren Districts and after wandering 400
miles, TO stand the banks of beautiful stream
towards the city of Chihuahua The process Is
again gone through with here This fertile valley which
srpasses any other in this portion Of the country is
brought under cultivation and immense structures
raised But this beautiful spot with all its attractions,
dees not suit the rowing Aztecs They again And
wherc9 Ono would naturally suppose, they desired
to 60 south towards the valley of Mexico that they
would follow the fine valley leading in that direction,
and thence proceed the great table land unobsructed