Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-07-25
VALUABLE HISTORIC DATA.
Discovery Of New Mexico and Found
ing Of santa Fe-Extracts from
Bishop TamarOn's Report
in 1864.

To the Editor of the New Mexican.
San Francisco, CAL, July 2O.-Agree
able to your request send you the fol
lowing scrap of history relative to tn,
discovery and settlement, by the Span
iards, of the region now known as New
Mexico:
Among the many interesting historic
! literary and scientific works found in the
Sutro library in San Francisco is manu-
script report of DR.. Pedro de Tamaron
bishop OF Durango, of the Council of his
Majesty, relative to pastoral journey OF
inspection, made by royal order through
his bishopric, which embraced tina north
ern provinces of New Spain, between the
years 1859 and 1884, which may be in
teresting to the student of history, and
also to the general reader.
This report, containing 375 pages
closely written on fools cap paper, bears
date, Durango, March IL, 1894, and gives
minute descriptions of all the places
visited by the bishop; the number of in
habitants - Spaniards and Indians of
the pueblos and missions, and the history
of the establishment thereof, together
with that of the settlements made by the
Spaniards in the northern provinces of
New Spain, among which is that of the
discovery and
NAMING OF NEW MExIcO,
of which the following is a translation:
"With respect to the kingdom of New
Mexico it is proper to make some partic-
nlar remarks.
"This country was discovered in the
year 1881 by the Father Fr. Augustine
Friars, a Franciscan missionary, and An
tonic Lopez, who gave it the name of
New Mexico.
"In the year 1880, 100 years after the
discovery of the country, on the 10th day
of August, the Indians of that region, to-
gether with their allies of other places,
got up conspiracy against the Span
iards SO secretly that at the same time
they took up arms, attacking the Span
iards with great violence and killing all
who came in their way, among whom
we're twenty-one missionaries of the
Franciscan order, and also destroying the
Christian Temples and outraging the
sacred images.
"Those who escaped fled to Ell Paso, at
which place they collected some families
of Spanierds, and Indians who had not
taken part in the rebellion, and estab-
lished the four
PUFBLOs OF Ell PAso.
"Althongh the country of New Mexico
was subsequently recovered by the Span
iards, it was at the cost of much labor,
many of the pueblos having been de-
stroyed, of the reconstruction Of which
we will not now speak, but will confine
ourself to the preservation of those that
remain.
"The Spanish population has somewhat
and this is the salvation of the
country, although the Comanches are
but, 1T is suggested, by in
telligent persons, that they are beneficial
as a check to other Indian tribes, because
all the other tribes fear them."
Such is the statement made by Bishop
Tamaron in 1894, relative to the discov-
cry, naming and occupation of New Mex
leo by the Spaniards. From what reliable
data the statement was made l know not,
but, inasmuch as he made his journey of
and, according to the
report thereof, by order of the
king was furnished by the govern
ment with all the facilities neces-
,ary to enable HIM to thoroughly carry
5he order into effect; spent some three
years of travel in procuring the data
from which it was made, and, since thu re-
port itself shows that it was made with
intelligent care, it is to be supposed that
10 made this positive statement relative
20 the discovery and naming of New
Mexico by the Spaniards from historic
lata or information which he considered |
.eliable; and it may be further remarked
hat the care with which
he MADE HIS OBSERVATIONS
Ind the report thereof may be reasonably |
presumed from the correctness of his |
descriptions of the regions
through which he travelled, particularly
If the wild mountain passes of the Sierra |
Nadre.
The report describes the village of |
santa Fe as the capital of New Mexico;
,ives the number Of its inhabitants, etc.,
,ut does not give the date of it's founda-
ion, but, if it be correct as to the discov-
,ry of New Mexico in 1880, the settle
nent of Santa Feby the Spaniards must |
lave been subsequent to that date.
The report also states that in the year |
1892, the Rio Grande was entirely dry for
ifty leagues above and below Ell Paso.
1t is shown by the foregoing that forty |
7ears
BEFORE THE PILGRIMS LANDED
IN the New England coast, the Spaniards
lad established themselves in New Mex
co, at point 1900 miles from the near
'st sea coast, and at least 1000 miles
rom the City of Mexico, in country in.
labited by hostile savages, and that 100 |
,ears thereafter-about the time that the |
New Highlander was raging successful war |
against the Indian King Philip-they
we're driven therefrom by the savage ma
ives of the country, and history shows |
hat from that time down to a compare
lively recent period, the blood-thirsty
pache and the wild Comanche we're the |
constant scourges of the Spanish settlers
all the northern provinces Of
Jew Spain and the frontier states and |
erritories of the republic of Mexico.
r. O. HOPKINS.