The North-Carolinian., 1859-01-08
TILE NORTH CAROLINIAN.
FAYETTEVILLE. N. G..
Strange things to be Seen in New
MeIco-Interesting Relics.

Strange things to be Seen In New
Medco-Interesting Relics.
From letter to the Washington States, by
a correspondent in New Mexico, make the
following interesting extracts. How few Of
eur people are aware of what wonders are to
be found in the vast territory of the Great
West:
THE COUNTRY IN THE VICINITY OF FoRT
DEFIANCE.-T country in this vicinity has
number of deep and frightful chasms canoms.
Immediately at this fort there is one of about
mile iorg, and its walls of solid rock are about
five saandred feet high. Canon de Challey,
from which Col Miles but recently returned
a scout against the Indians, killing six or eight,
and taking 5000 sheep, is a wonderful phenon,-
enon- 1t is about forty miles northwest of
this place, is forty miles long ard 800 yards
wide. with walls of Ainty rock rising up 1900
feet in majestic grandeur, if to pillar the
very heavens Horses and men, standing upon
these towering spires, are represented as ap
pearing like rats and pigmies. Stones thrown
down at the troops by the Indians break into
pieces by the resistance Of the air. and arrows
discharged come down horizontally, from the
force of gravitation.
pistol shot is echoed and re-echoed by the
adamantine walls, and rings in the ear for
minutes afterward The appearance of the
canon, as one gazes up and about thus sunk
walled by huge and rugged rocks, is said to be
terribly grand and frightful. In these deep
| openings the Indians plant grain, peaches, mel
ons, etc and ill times of difficulty, take their
hocks and women and children. They seem,
however to have anticipated the march of the
troops upon this one, and consequently not a
great many Indians, 10 horses, and, but 5000
sheep were found.
PETR1FAcr1oN-The officers of the scout re-
port having seen great quantities Of silicifed
wood large trees completely transformed int o
siex and others in particular state were a
bundant The slick quite sulphuric, and
emitted Ere freely by contact with iron or steel
| A RACE OF PEOPLE DESTROYED BY VOLCANIC
ERUPTION Numerous stones Of rare quality
and beauty were seen, and immense quantities
of broken pottery were strewed in every direc-
| ton. This latter fact favors the suppostion
| that of people once inhabited tsis coun-
| try, who were either destroyed by volcanic
eruptions and earthquakes, or have ceased to
exist by gradual deterioration. All through
the territory to be found Aztec ruins and
| it is not unreasonable to presume that supe-
| over this country. But this IS a subject which
leave for the speculation Of the more learned
| and scientific
| VOLCANIC ERUrT1oSs AND CRArERs-In the
| valley of the Gallo-a creek which flows from
! a beautiful crystalline spring, gushes up from
\ dH ltHIueuSe Ueu Ol fOch-Cnefe is u large Qe-
| post of lava, exhibiting evidence of having flow
| ed down the valley in stream of fearful force
and volume from distant mountain whence it
was erupted. Indeed, craters exist all through
! the country, indicating that at time this
| region must have been shaken and torn to pie
ces by volcanoes and earthquakes. From the
data furnished by scientific examination, the
most recent volcanic discharge must have been
as late as three centuries back.
| This stream Of boiling lava must have been
| fifty feet deep and many wide. It seems
to have rushed on until it gradually cooled and
hardened and thus was formed abrubt ter
mnation to its progress. The forms of the
waves can be seen plainly. The dark, iron-ike
substance would appear to the naked eye to
have been erupted within the last century but
as before stated, it could not have been dis
charged short of three hundred years ago. 1t
is singular sight, indeed, and is field for in
finite wonder and speculation.
! RELICS OF A FORMER PEoPIE-Througho
this country relics of former people and ruins
| of towns to be found in great quantities
The deep chasms in the earth, the singular and
terrific attitude of rocks and canons, too clearly
indicate the awful upheavng and tearing as
and point to a Of people buried beneath
few streams which and then gladden. the
these barren hills and parched valleys are yet
strongly impregnated with sulphur. AND
while springs bubble up chrystalne and beau
tifu, they not unfrequently serve to create
rather than allay thirst