The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-07

Interesting IA om New Mexico.
THE APACHE nDisss-HorfLs OF rHs sExIcANs
--RKLIGI0Us MATHIS - LYNCHIkG - rRuuBL1
WITH Tns RED sgS AhTIcIP .TBD, ECO.
We copy the following letter from the Columbus
OHIO State Journal
SANTA Fx, N. NJ, Nov. 80, 1853.
1t may appear strange To many that there should
be any thing fascinating In living IL country where
person IL deprived OF nearly ali the comforts TO
which he has been accustnmed-where he knows
thaf his life Is In continual danger. And yet there
Is something aroused within him, after living in
the mountains or the prairies a few years, that
renders him unhappy and dscontented If he Is any
where else. IL Is prohsbss toe freedom rom an re-
stTaint-the consciousness of being able to project
himself-he proud eeing OF Independence, that
constitutes the charm.
Although the Jicanllss Apaches have more enc
mics among our own people than any other Indians,
have never, since i have known them, been un
willing TO frost my life with them. IL Is true they
are beggars but they beg because they are poor
and hungry, AID no man ever went 10 their camp
hungry that found them unwilling to divide their
last mOrsel with him. twas near their country that
some pastor boys about tso years ago, discovered
small globules OF quicksilver oozing up as it were
from the ground, shining, they described it, like
silver dew. They gathered it up in small walls, and
knowing but little about lis use, they kept it as
curiosity to show tier Deighbors. An old Mexi.
can woman told me she used it so put the
childIen's heads and don't you think said she,
that 1t wouldn't be there two minutes before the
"ptoJos" would drop out MS thick as bran." One of
our youngsters, said She DESTROYS Of learning the
1t than it went right through him presto sallto
Thin king quite likely did, did not stop to argue
the question with the old lady. Whether the ground
itself Is saturated with quicksilver, or whether there
Ia nabdr in the neig bbOrh BOD, from which the
metal IL extracted, whether 1t is produced from
other causes, ore questi that remain as yet unde
cided. All that We know is that at.er rain or the
melting OF SHOWS, IL appears Ia globules the
face Of the ground under rocks IN the tracks OF ami
mails, and when the ground becomes hard and dry
1t disappears After some experiments which are
now ia progress sbnl have been completed we shall
probably he able u form more correct )inion
Many Of our poorest people would consider their
lot bard ole If they wete compelled to 1--we upon
the food that MexicaDs live upon who are considered
pretty well of. Goats milk m1sh, and beans are
their pIincil al ,rtees oi fooc-few OF them taste
meat more than orCe week. and fewer still kno
anything Of coffee tea, or sugar Some years ago,
friend OF NINE who used t. travel over the country
great Geal, being t0o0 of coffee, provided himself
with little bag full OF the article ground and ready
for USE thinking he would have but little trouble in
getting it made wherever he might stop. One night,
tired, wet, and hungry. he stopped at house. and
after being kindly received by an old lady he asked
her If she could make him some coffee "Si,
Senor, said she. After waiting some little time the
supper was brought in. Among the dishes was
one that attracted bis attention great deal. As
he thought he had never seen anything like
it before, he refuFed TO touch it, thinking
he would make his supper on bread and
coffee. As the coffee did nos make its appearance,
he ventured to inquire OF the landady what had be-
come OF it. Here II Is, SIR said she, very politely,
handing him the dish that had excited his curiosity
And there was his coffee, sure enough all sewed up
In mutton tallow After that time, when he wanted
any coffee he made it himself. Knives and forks are
seldom seen in q Mexican house, as their food is
mostly boiled, or dashed up so very soft as to be
eaten with spoon. The SPOONS are made of torti
Las, something like buckwheat cake which is
doubled between the idgers, each fold being de.
voured with what 1t conveyes to the mouth thus
having the advaL tage ola spoon for every mouth
full Tables and chairs equally dispensed with;
m tb4V Sj fak n
their shes upon their knees. The women never
eat with the men seldom in their presence
but by themselves, mostly around the chimney
corner in the kitchen Butter is article of which
they know nothing, except what little they may
have seen Americans The extraVagant use Of
red pepper (hide oolorsds) in all their meals has
often bt related by travellers. They use it as
sauce for almost every thing; and although Ameri-
cans at first repeni having tasted 1t, with tears in
their eyes, they soon become accustomed to it, and
relish il as highly as the Mexicans.
In their salntatoDs, the ancient custom OF close
embrace, Mr.. Gregg says even between individuals
OF different xes. is almost universal 1t is q1ite
luxury TO meet pretty SeDorita after some absence.
The parties approach shake hands 10 cordial mau-
ner, and without lom euhg the grasp, the left arm
Of each is thrown round the others waist; and while
gentle embrace brings their persons close to each
Othsr tie contact of the cheeks becomes inevitable
without admitting k-s, however, which would be
held az decidedly indicate. In short, IL is worth
while absening oneself for the qualification Of first
meeting with the pr tter Of ones female friends
upon the return
For the purpose of prote sting their faces from the
tai ming influence of the sun. the ladies the GRIM
juice of plat called algeria, MT unlike blood,
which they rub ovef their faces, and which gives
them a irighful appearance sometimes clay or
starch Is used and kept on for two or three weeks
together, and is washed off before faudango is held
where they appear "fresh as the lily and blooming as
the rose"
caused by the arrival OF Padre Cardenas of their
former priests, in company with Rev. Mr. Nicholson,
o Methodist missionary. II given out that he
would preach on the Plaza last Sunday. after the
dismissal Of the Catholic congregation. Surprising
there would be "muss," good many people at
tended, at distance, TO see how the experiment
would succeed. The Bishop, fearing his people
might become excited if they heard him, and that
not to go near the Padre and to let him alone. They
followed his advice, and everything pa sed off quiet
y. There is not Protestant Mexican in all New
Mexico, and have never seen Mexican who Was
not ia ly satisfied wit the Catholic religion.
Since the arrival of Bishop L. Amy many Of the
abuses that formerly existed have been swept away
The exorbitant fees exactsd by the priests for per
forming the services at marriages, baptisms. and
funerals have been reduced greatly, and the people
no longer remain unmarried, unbaptized, and I'M
buried for want OF money to pay the clergy. The
rates are eight dollars for burying, Fix dollars
for marrying and two dollars for christening; o. I'd
where the people are too poor to pay, the services
are perftrmed gratis The Bishop Is one Of the
boldeet and most energetic men have ever seen.
He has reformed many of the abuses tolerated by
his predecessors, sieDced and deposed some OF the
corrupt priests, at the hazard OF his hfe has
brought from the States some of the Sisters of
Charity, who have fine school of about thirty
young girls. whom they are educating. There are
also about forty scholars in the male department..
The Bishop for nine years priest in Ohio, To-
Gated, believe, at Mount Vernon, AID brought out
under the protection Of Bishop Purcell of Cincinnati
He leaves here in January, TO make tour in Eu-
ppe, where he goes after more help and more
honey.
There are at present four Baptist missionaries To-
Mted in different parts OF the terrtory-Messrs.
,miih at Santa Fe, Reed at Albuquerque, Gorman
1t Laluna, and Shaw in the Navajo country-tEo
NJ thodist missionaries, Mr.. Nicholson at Santa Fe,
md Mr.. Hanson at tn ,olote, and Padre, Cardenas.
lame ntabe fact, however must be told, which is,
that OF them have any professors of religion in
their congreg alton, and believe not single mem.
Der. These missionaries are all good men, LABOR With
much zeal, and 1t is 'aut OF theirs that members