Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-04-27
THE PUEBLO INDIANS.
An Ancient Race on Which the March
Of Civilization Has Failed to Leave
It's Impress,
The History Of These Remarkable Abo-
rhymes Their Customs and Man
ner Of Government.
Their Games in Time of Peace and De-
Tense in Time Of War-Inter-
esting Traditions.
written for The Gazette.

OF the many tribes of Indians who
have claimed d mielle in Texas the
Pueblos are, perhaps, the most re-
markable, and as there Is very little
known Of the history of this curious
people we will attempt to give brief
sketch Of them, their origin, traditions,
manners, customs, costumes, etc.
In 1887, just $50 years ago and $50
years before La Sale landed on the
coast of Texas, Marcus de Mira,
Franciscan missionary from sunny
Nice, set out with a party of white
men from the City of Mexico on an ex-
OF weary travel and suffering from in.
tolerable heat, hunger and thirst, they
arrived on the bank OF the Rio
Grande, opposite the village now
known as Ysleta, the present county
seat OF El Paso county. Here they
gazed in wonder at
THE CAsTELLATED TOWN
that dotted the valley on the opposite
side of the river.
After resting for few days in order
to revive his men. the friar crossed the
Rio Grande and entered the village
without opposition. He found it then,
as it is now, occupied by Pueblo Indi-
ans They lived in comfortable houses,
some of them two, three, four and
sometimes as many as seven stories
high, and occasionally pierced with
loop -hoies for defense, but invariably
the entrances were from the roofs with
no doors upon the sides. Their village
was located upon the most elevated
and defensible position, and was regu-
larly laid out into streets, with public
squares like European cities, They
seem to have been
WE'LL ADVANCED IN THE ARTS,
sciences and Industries. Among the
many arts which they understood was
that OF making and coloring very
superior quality of pottery. They
cultivated corn, vegetables, flowers,
etc. They dressed in coarse kind of
cloth made from cotton produced in
the neighborhood. They were indus
trious, clean and chaste in their habits
and seemed to live comfortably and
happily. They were of very pacific
and unwarllke deposition. They
readily accepted the new doctrines
introduced by the missionary
and adhered very strictly to the rites
of the church. The first successful at
tempt to explore this region was made
while Nuno de Guzman was president
of New Spain in 1910. This expedition
was intrusted to the command oil
Francisco Vasquez Coronado. The ex.
pedition consisted of 300 volunteers,
mostly Spanisrds of good families
who were induced to join the enter
prise under the belief that they were
TO be lead direct to the verltable "E
Dorado They magched to Sonors
and thence crossing the ella Travelled
two weeks through the desert north o
that stream, until at length they
Preached one of the towns they were IL
search OF, called Cibola, which the,
found built upon
AN ELEVATED CLIFF,
the houses having three and foul
stories erected in terrace form. The
approaches TO the summit of the cliff
were so narrow and steep as to be very
difficult of access. Nevertheless, Cor
onado assailed IL, sword In hand, ant
carried 1t In an hour. From thence h.
proceeded east to another large tow
called Tigeux, on the Rio Grande
where he made his headquarters dur
ing the winter of l540-l. At thii
place, which is now called Ysleta
some of the houses, says Coronado
were
SEVEN STORIES IN HEIGHT,
and rose above the rest like towers
having embrasures and loop.holes
This Town was captured by tn
Spaniards under brave Coron
ado, and the subdued natives wer
forced to become Spanish subjects
: From thence he made his expedition
into Texas, where he encountere'
prairie Indians and vast herds @
buffalo (bison) and returned to Graz
Quivers on the Pecos river.
Upon the occasion OF Coronado
visit to New Mexico and Texas, h
had large number of sheep, cattl
and horses which he introduced to tn
natives. teaching them their varlou
d d1es, have sprung the immens
fiocks, herds and caballados OF mus
tangs which roam at will on the prai
ries OF New Mexico and Texas.
STOCK RAISING.
Since the introduction of stock b.
Coronado, the Pueblos have lead NOR
of pastoral than an agricultural life
their country being well adapted I
grs ling. Some OF them own immens
herds of cattle, horses and sheer
: especially OF the latter. On one oC
casion, In 1872, one of the cszique
(governors) made his daughter
= present of 5000 head of sheep. Goat'
ca tile, horses, mules, burros IA specie
Of jackass), hogs, chickens, et;., forr
no small part OF their possession
These people are very domestic. Tn
men are not gamblers nor drrnkardi
: and the chastity Of the women, as we
as the morality of the men, is beyon
reproach.
THEIR PASTIMES
. consist in music and dancing an
games, the chief Of which Is tins
u known among them as pallto. 1t
curious to see them exert tbemselve
at this game. II Is the national game
one might sit for some time an
watch them and then have longin
% 10 Join them in their skip, hop and
10 lump. n is performed after tai