The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-11-24

THE PALACE.
known and largest pucbIos are nine in
number, all on the line Of the Rio Granda
railway or in its immediate ncighbor-
hood. They arc: Taos Picuno, San Juan.
Santa Clara, san YldcfonsO Poiuaquc.
Nombe, CUyamuquc and Tesuquc. The
different pucbIos resemble each other very
closely in construction. The dwellings are
all of mud colorcd adobcs or sun dried
bricks and always arranged, Mexican fash
ion- 20 inciOse plaza or public square.
The walls Of these buildings are from two
TO four feet in thickness, and the roofs
are OF timbers, which are covered with
dirt a foot or more IN depth. Most OF these
dwellings are two and often four and five
stories, or rather terraces, in height, each
successive story beings set back some ~ or
10 feet from the side walls OF the next
story below. The customary manner of en-
tering these dwellings Is by ascending a
ladder outside the building to the roof, and
through hole descending TO the interior
by another ladder, though many, as a
concession TO the march of progress, have
doors cut through the side walls. Tn
doubtedly these dwellings were built with
an eye to defensive measures during little
disputes, when il quite often became very
necessary TO convert the pueblo into for
tress from which to repel threatened inva-
sion.
Weird Race.
The most interesting as well as the most
perfect specimens OF Pueblo Indian for
tress is 20 be found at Taos, y. NJ. Taos is
pronounced exactly as IL IL were spelled
"Touse" The rtress consists of two
communistic houses, each five stories high,
and Roman Catholic church in a some
what ruined condition, which stands near
though apart from the dwellings.
around the fortress are seven curious
circular mounds. You would imagine
them TO be the work of mound builders.
These are the mysterious sweating cham
bers of this weird race, which has preserved
its aboriginal life of the days of Montezu-
ma almost unchanged to these times. Tho
largest of these mounds serves the purpose
of council chamber and mystic hall,
where secret rites are administered. The
young Pueblo Indian is therein initiated
by solemn ceremonies into the faith of his
forefathers- Americans are forbidden
these caverns, or sweating chambers,
though they are always welcome to the
pueblos.
drove yesterday to the pueblo 1T Tc- |
suque nine miles from Santa Fe. The |
road lies through one OF the most awful |
and desolate of landscapes, across arroyas,
or the sun dried beds of mountain torrents, |
around the base of foothills covered with |
the omnipresent cedar trees. Everywhere |
mountains and foothills, everywhere sand |
and cedar. Occasionally we passed one OF |
the members of the tribe we were going to |
visit jogging into Santa Fe on his broncho |
and got up in holiday attire, a sight TO
scare the dogs.
RepuIsive Specimen.
shall never forget the first Pueblo In
dian 1 saw. 1t was at Espgnola the other
day, on my way here to tbs dreamy old
city-the city of Holy Faith. Near Espa-
nola is the pueblo of San Juan, and sew
|
specimens of their pottery TO sell TO the
tourists passing through. As 1 got off the
train my gaze fell on this object, crouch
ing, like q cat. ut the corner of the sta |
ton. For an instant believed was the
victim of n nightmare This horrible |
thing, this repulsive, shrive led, mummy
like creature, squatted there and grinning
up from under shock OF black, greasy, |
matted, filthy hair, was human being, |
after all, not a hobgoblin.
/ spoke 20 IL and discovered that il was
y squaw. These Indians dress so uni
formly 10 Is difficult 10 tell the bucks from
the squaws. Both hang their coarse black
hair until IL covers the eyes. Through
this hirsutc mass glitter those intensely
black. suakeliSe eyes, with so unpleasant
and cldritch effect that you feel your blood
turn cold when looking at them. And the
way they crouch and squat upon the
ground. doubled UP in some mysterious
jackknife, corkscrew fashion, is enough TO |
strike terror 10 your soul, for the effect is
that they appear 10 have no legs whatever,
and you arc possessed by the horrible fas-
cinatiOn Of the idea that they are creatures
which end at the hips, and that any mo
ment they may topple over and run all
over the ground at your feet.
A Governors Palace.
Well, lived through the shock, and
having become acclimated to the Pueblo
Indian decided 10 visit him on his native
heath. Afterward / wished hadn {, and |
N the coming years, whenever n Whit OF
decaying garbage, the odor of swine or the
scent of the tenement shall assail my nos
trils, it will watt me back 10 Tesuque, and
TO the palace OF its governor.
For Tesuque has governor, and the gov
ernor has a palace. The governor was alb
sent yesterday, doubtless on some delicate
diplomatic mission. However, his door
was unlocked, and my guide, pushing IL
open, invited me to enter
The governor OF TcSuquc i even moro
democratic in his methods OF living than
IS the governor Of Colorado. for the former
rats sleeps and governs IN one ground |
floor roOrJ of the pueblo. His front door ,
s painted the azure Of the sky, his floor =
IF mud. his couch i covered with skins
md blankets. his walls are hung with
heap pictures Of saints and martyrs and
,hrines and rcsarics. for the governor is a :
good Catholic. as are all his subjects, and c
his ceiling i decorated with the rude i
lrums upon which these Indians beat that \
mufilcd, blood curdling music heard 81 =
heir varicJIs religious festivals Their =
'eligion, however, has not taught them
hat cleanliness Is next TO godliness,'
md the governors palace ut Tesuque Is :
me TO be visited with a held nose. Z