Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-10-24

guage, Religion and Eabits Of These
Natives.
a correspondent of the Sun and DroverS
Journal, writing from New Albuquerque.
n. NJ, gives the following highly interest
ing account of the Pueblo Indians of that
Territory people whose peculiar " civil
lization and existence in that country
dates back, like the common law, to a
time beyond which 81 the mind of man
runneth not to the contrary" The oorre-
spondent says:
One of the most curious things about
these Pueblos is their language. When
the Spaniards invaded this country they
found people identical in everything else,
possessing the same appearance, customs,
modes of living, manufacture and agrioult-
ure, but speaking five distinct languages
mot dialects of the same language), and
they are the same to-day. The language
of the Tequa towns is almost entirely
monosyllabls The words of the Queres
group are TWO syllables the Piros and
Zunis and Jemez rejoice in words of great
length. AS an example, take the word
earth, one of the first employed in any Ian
gusge. In Tequa it is nah in Queres, hah
ats ; in Jemez, d0ck-dh in Piros, pdh han
nah, while in the Zuni it is on-LOck nan.
nay And what is still more singular is
that the distribution of these languages is
not geographical; that the groups are not
compact divisions, but lap over each other
in the situation of their towns. For ex.
ample, at Tais, in the north, and Isleta, in
the south, the same language is spoken
but between are all the Tequa towns and
many of the Queres, covering most of the
Rio Grsnde valley.
Again the language spoken at Pecos was
Identical with that spoken at Jemez, but
none OF the intervening towns spoke it. So
that when the former Pdeblo Pecos, of
whom l told you before, was abandoned by
its inhabitants, they had to pass pueblo
after pueblo, like the children of Israel
wandering in the desert, before finding
resting place at Jemez, where their own
language was spoken. When the people of
different pueblos wish to talk with one an.
other they use the Spanish language, with
which all are more or less familiar. These
people all started from the same source.
Where was the destruction OF their tower
Of Babel, which scattered them and con-
fused their tongues? These Pueblo In
dians are rapidly declining in population,
as from their habits of intermarriage they
are already small in size and physically in
ferior to their former condition. The once
powerful and influential Taos Pueblos are
all extinct, not one remaining to tell the
sorrowful tale of this once mighty people.
They were situated along the Galhsteo,
and the ruins of their cities and churches
as the hand of time crumbles them to
dust, are monuments of their departed
glory and power. And as | wandered
amidst these ruins, once the happy homes
of great andpowerful people, wondered
what would be the thoughts and reflections
for the future archBologist as he wandered
around the ruins of our great cities of the
East, and took the measurements of the |
old erumbling walls of the Capitol at
Washington, or as he wandered amids. the |
ruins of New York, and gszed in wonder
st the towers of the Brooklyn bridge as we |
stand and gaze on these ruins, or as we |
stand and gaze on the old pyramids, or |
wander amidst the ruins of ancient Thebes. |
1t can be truly said of this once powerful |
people, that they can "climb the Western |
hills and read their doom in the setting |
sun"
Knowing your space is limited, leave |
out many things that should like to tell |
you, and come to the Pueblo Indians of to-
day. But it may be asked, what has all
this got 20 do with stock paper. Simply |
this, that country which supported such
numerous population who lived prin-
cipally by their herds and hocks, must
have great resources in that direction, and
proves that this is great grazing country.
The tourist coming over the Atchison, To-
peka & Santa Fe Railroad, if he visits
Santa Fe, will see on the streets these
Pueblos. After seeing all the sights there,
which are many, he should by all means go
out to the Pueblo Tesnque, which lays north
of Santa Fe nine miles. Captain Marshall,
U. S. a. Quartermaster of the Department,
kindly placed an ambulance and four
mules at my disposal to visit it. 1t was a
bright morning, the 9th of August. The
air was fresh and pure the scenery is
bold and grand, so that one will enjoy the
ride. Should you not visit Santa Fe, the
best place to visit is at the Pueblo San
Domingo, two miles from Wallace, on the
Rio Grande. There you will see the In.
iiAns, but not the old ancient town, as it
was washed away a few years ago, and
when it was rebuilt part of the people built
modern houses, while the balance built
after the old, ancient style This is one of
the largest pueblos in New Mexico, and
you can visit with but little expense by
laying over one day at Wallace, where
there is fine hotel you can see it with
but little expense.
From what have already said about
these Indians, you will net be timid about
going, for you are safer there than YOU are
in Chicago, for there are no thugs or thieves
there. As you approach the town you will
see on your right hand what in our country
looks like sheds, on top of which you will
zee an Indian standing They are lookouts,
and the sentinel is watching the hocks, or
-athsr is watching the herds, as there are
1erders always with the stock when it is
,ut. If the day is warm, you will see
plenty OF little children running around
playing, dressed with - smile or a
merry laugh. Lying in the shade asleep
,ou will see lots Of men, while standing in
he terrace you will see the women, or run
ling in and out busy at their household |
luties. You will be surprised at the low !
tature of the women, but they are very l
,lump and solid looking, and as one arm ]
md shoulder is exposed, you will see
most beautiful rounded arm and the upper
'art of a bust that Michel Angelo might i.
lave taken for his model of the Greek !
lave. Do not think that these dusky
asidens are immodest, for they never ex-
,eAe as many of their charms as are to be q
cen IN fashionable gathering of their !
Iroud white sisters.
Their features are very regular their
a.es sre very round, or being as broad as
eaG; they are not as red as you thought