Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-11-15
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

the W ashingtonian in FL Paso, who has fur
nished US with cepious notes from his journal of
his journey from Kansas to that point. We
have another from his pen, also ON hand. Both
will be found Of especial interest. We know
no more agreeable chronicler of the events Of
such trip than this correspondence the Star:
Ell PAso, (Texas.) Oct IL, 1853.
Editor Of the Wdshington Star:
On closing my letter to the Star on the Sd inst
had just entered the stage for a passage to this
piace The stage Is drawn by six mules with
one driver and outrider; and eleven mules, under
the direction OF another man, are driven along
ds relay mules. There are four passengers and
the agent Of the line, together with trunks, bed
ming and armor, all crowded In a small ambu.
lance. The back seat Is occupied by a Du,chmap,
and SPaniard from Old Spain, who stole
march In obtaining II; the middle seat (Which is
our trunks) is occupied by Captain Tivy "a sur
veyor) and myself; Major Wells (the AGENT rides
shooter, some bowie knives, and a Sharp's rife
The stage Is furnished with what call an orlop
deck; that Is, underneath the body there Is sort
Of box in which most Of our bedding Is carried
The boot Of the stage contains our provisions
cooking utensils and table furniture As we have
opportunities OF purchasing on the road, we do
not take very large store Of provisions. Thus
armed and equipped, on Wednesday, August 25,
A ID. 1855, about O'Clock a. m. we took our
departure from Santa Fe, in presence Of large
number OF persons the occasion had assembled
Fee we are upon an open, sterile prairie, on which
few stunted cedars grow. On the east we are
constantly In sight of a succession of lofty hills
that rise from the plains; some of them are regu-
lar cones, and one In particular, near Delgardos
ranch, has as much regularity as IL 1t had been
formed by art; on its summit a cross has been
placed. On our right, the range Of hills which
skirt the valley, of the Rio Grande present sue
cession Of colors the most beautiful that the
imagination can conceive The mountains In the
dis lance seem to penetrate the sky. Ii is not an
unusual thing on these hills to see a white cloud
about half way between the bottom and top, and
the tops Of some of the hills obscured by clouds
In the afternoon we reached the Gallisto creek
which we passed down a half mile or more
crossing II several times. Ii is reached by the
rouS hest road have yet seen, and on every side
OF the road there are cliffs of bssdlt and ancient
lava The general level of these msSas or table
lands, on the top of the lava hills is covered by
Sramlna grass and dwarf cedars We STONED
near night, opposite dilapidated Puebla village
with church in ruins. We obtained some thin
mud from an desqH'a, or irrigating ditch, with
which We made our coffee for supper Rio Grande
mud makes excellent coffee.
Af'er supper, and In the night, we went about
four miles, and stopped in the Town Of yodones
(EngHsh, Cottontown, )wLere we slept at rhomp-
sons Jordd, (tavern) This Is the first lime I
have slept in a bed while travelling since Ieft
Washington. Two nights in Kansas slept on
my bank t on pane heon floor; and nese three
nights are the only ones slept in houses while
on the road. AT Bowler's forua had a comfort
able room and bed, though my proximity 10 the
billiard room rendered INV situs,ion uncomf,,t
able.
Thursday % Made an early start, and soon
reached Bernalilla. This is beautiful village
The houses and fences are built Of adobes, the
latter very high and surmounted with cactus
here the vineyards commence. The postmaster
has an acre or two In vines year or two old We
passed this morning large grave yard or rathsr
battle ground IL is said the Pueblos were here
al WORK, when they were charged upon by patty
OF wild Indians, and a large number Of the Pu.
eoios were Killed. 1t Is not known now whether
the small piles OF stones mark the spot where the
Pueblos were killed or where they Were buried
As these piles, about one hundred in number are
very scattering, should think they denote the
places OF slaughter. IL is the custom of the In.
dlans, when one gets killed, to bury him on the
spot where he was killed, and 20 make a small
pile OF stones on the grave. Then, as his r.la-
tives afterwards PASSES the grave they carry an
other stone and place il on the pile The Mex-
lean custom Is TO erect a small wooden cross on
or near the place where one was killed ON onr
road to- day saw good many crosses especially
near Albuquerque-so many that person would
INFER that few persons died natural deaths in this
county. we passed one or two small towns and
reached Albuquerque at II O'Clock Mai Wells
having business, we remained here about three
hours, dined, and looked round the town. There
are some nne retail stores here. The BUILDINGS
are constructed with more taste than is usual In
Mexican towns. Col Bonneville commands the
United States troops stationed here. There are
COCO many grape vendors The fruit is not
am told, good many vineyards in the nei0hbor
hood. One discharged soldier has ninety tbon.
sand vines We stopped for supper near a pond;
and, resuming our journey, we passed over sons
tremendous sand hills, and slept on sand beach
or plain opposite the Indian town of Isleta, ISL
and The Indians are holding their " annual, -
and this Is the last and most Interesting MI,
Themselves and dogs make a Tremendous paise
In the morning, the Whole town will assemble
before sunrise, aad Will take an elevated position
to see II Montezuma does not rise with the sun
Friday ~ Started emily Mai Wells and nv
self walked ahead for more than mile over
sand plain. During the prevalence Of mothers
the sand Is thrown in large mounds sometimes
twenty feet high. Whenever ii begins TO setIIs
generally around bush, the lodgmen, soon be
comes mound; and sometimes these mounds n 70
removed, in the course Of few hours. several
hundred wards, and are re formed We passed
Dr. Connelly's this morning. He married the
widow Chavizi and Maj. " ellis showed us the
cotton tree in which Connolly stationed a peane
10 watch him, some years o. while movinp lest
he Nv ells) should steal roasting ears This CON
molly, since he ried rich has denied ali hi. old
friends Oice LIE took man to his house. one who
came 10 the country with him, and was his init
mate friend for years, and when he got him to the
h3use be put his old friend in room; never w .nt
In to See him or provide supper. or feed his horse
He Is mean Kentuck ian-thats all Wep.s.ed
Otero's rancho, Paralta and Valneria, small
towns; This is perhaps the wealthest place N
New Mexico. We breakfasted at San Tome.
where We were shown much attention by an Old
Mexican. The whole country is in motion-aII
sort OF strange vehicles are on the road and MANY
are on horse back. Here, IL q man and woman
are on one horse, the woman rides before and her
feet are sometimes on one side Of the horse and
sometimes on the other. Male and female use the
same saddles. There Is grand feast in some of
the upper towns, given in honor OF tue patron
saint. did not earn whether il was in Islata or
a Mexican town. The Indians are all Catholics
aud conform to the rules OF that Church obsrrv,
Ing Few ceremonies Of their own not In contiic
with church discipline. We reached Casas Colo
RADIO, (Red Houses,) small town, by noon
Here We bought quantity Of very excellent
grapes-the kind cultivated at FL Passo went
up into town the old fellow who keeps house
Of entertainment hates an American worse than
rattlesnake. | found one Of my companions en-
gagged In conversation with his dau. hter who il
rather beautiful and Is quite spr2 htly-she is the
village belle. She was seated, tailor fash Ion Oh
the ground foor OF the portal, and exhausted one
or two eiSdTifas before vamosed. Her color is
that Of moderately brigh mulatto, quite fair for
a Mexican.
Our road is over sand hills and mesas; near the
pace wht re we stopped, four O'Clock Tor dinner
ana supper, at an old rancho, there lived some
years % Mexican, who, az some soldiers were
returning from Mexico, sold them some corn for
their horses. The soldiers strayed OF while their
horses were eating, and the Mexican slipped ont
I