Year: 1868




square yard or placita, which has
an entrance on one side sufficiently
large to admit loaded mule The
doors of the houses open into this
yard; windows open on both sides of
the houses. Originally, however,
when there was more fear of the In
dians. think this was not the case
in any. The roofs are fiat and COW
cred with mud. The buildings are
one story. There is public records
in Santa Fe which show that it was
commenced in 1862. What is appli-
cable to Santa Fe is equally applica-
BILE to the whole territory. High
winds prevail, and, as the soil is
sandy, it is difficult to observe re


markable cleanliness. At Fort I'm
ion we can at any time gather any
quantity of sand from our window
sills, furniture, papers and books, of
the finest quality, suitable for filling
hour glasses. This may not appear
so very unpleasant to the reader
But l assure you it is anything but
deli ghtful to those who experience
it. One thing we have, however, to
relieve this unpleasantness, and that
is beautiful scenery. But to give an
accurate description of the grandeur
and beauties of the Rocky Mountains
is impossible They have the ap


pearance of grand encampment of
visitors from world Of far superior
light to ours-here only for a tran
sient stay-Out of reach, not to be
approached by any of us-simply to
be gazed on with wonder by their in
feriors in favored brightness-no
pointed tops like spires, but appear
ing like mammoth wall tents. The
Imagination can picture nothing so
gloriously beautiful. The people In
this territory have adopted the relig
ion of their early conquerers, the
Spaniards. But 1 can say nothing
favorable of the morals of any of
the natives of New Mexico. There
is almost an entire destitution Of yir-
tue amongst men and women,
throughout large portions of all
classes of society. The Romish
priests hold no enviable position in
regard to morality. Thus getting
on the subject of Romish Faith, ]
will endeavor to give your readers an
idea of the manner in which Lent is
observed here by the believers in
this faith. Be assured that it differs
somewhat from the Episcopalian OBJ


servance of the same. hope that
in thus relating these incidents | am
not bringing on my head the indig-
nation of our good Catholic friends
at home. There is class of Ro


manists in New Mexico called Peni-
tents. During Lent, but especially
in Passion Week, this order, or sect,
retire from general society, neglect
their ordinary occupations, clothe
themselves scantily, in some cases
only wear a mantle around their
loins, and for weeks or days wander
about just outside settled neigh
borhood, voluntarily undergoing ev-
cry privation, bodily Inconvenience
and pain. They profess to feel them
selves unworthy of notice, and more
than that, to be deserving of any
kind of treatment any passer by may
choose to infiict on them. They in
fact, actually court such indignities.
Their strange conduct sometimes at
tracts large numbers to see them,
who frequently castigate them Sc
verely, being urgently solicited to
do SO by the Penitents. They gene


rally carry on their backs large
crosses, made of heavy pieces of
timber, their bodies being bent near
ly at right angles under this cross,
and on the naked back they wear a
mat made from the cactus, that
abeunds in this country. When Ia
boring and groaning under weights,
and walking with bare feet, or on
their knees, over rough rocks and
sharp thorned cacti, they endure blow
after blow as they pass along. Slen-
der branches of the tall cactl are
used in striking them, and the low,
ball like kind are thrown at them,
causing the blood to flow freely
The Penitents resort to the doors OF
the churches, sometimes walking
miles on their knees, and lie down,
begging the people, as they pass in
and out, for the love OF God to tram
nile on them. On the afternoon OF
good Friday, many persons went out
from Fort Union to witness these
things. Having been told by credi-
BILE persons of such doings in this
territory, they had not believed that
it could be so. They were aston
ished beyond measure, and heart
sick at the sight. At q place ten or
fifteen miles from Fort Union, an ac-
tual crucifxion was gone through


with on good Friday of last year, the
Penitents being bound to the crosses


bv branches of the cacti. They were


suspended in the most intense agony,


until it was supposed that they could


not survive many minutes longer
when they were taken down in ar


almost lifeless condition, with ths


blood flowing freely from their lace


rated bodies. In one case death sooI
claimed the deluded creature as hi
victim, and a welcome grave closet