BOOK fatigably surmount every obstacle that opposed their return LXXXV. to their dear native mountains, their conquerors adopted the

Manner of

making

war.

The Keres.

expedient of sending their prisoners to the island of Cuba, where, from the change of climate, they speedily perished. No sooner were the Apaches informed of this circumstance than they refused any longer either to give or receive quarter. From that moment none have ever been taken prisoners, except those who are surprised asleep, or disabled during the combat.

The arrows of the Apaches are three feet long, and are made of reed or cane, into which they sink a piece of hardwood, with a point made of iron, bone, or stone. They shoot this weapon with so much force, that at the distance. of 300 paces they can pierce a man. When the arrow is attempted to be drawn out of the wound, the wood detaches itself, and the point remains in the body. Their second offensive weapon is a lance, fifteen feet long. When they charge the enemy they hold this lance with both hands above their head, and, at the same time, guide their horse by pressing him with their knees. Many of them are armed with firelocks, which, as well as the ammunition, have been taken in battle from the Spaniards, who never sell them any. The archers and fusileers combat on foot; but the lancers are always on horseback. They make use of a buckler for defence. Nothing can equal the impetuosity and address of their horsemen. They are thunderbolts, whose stroke it is impossible to parry or escape.

We must cease to feel astonished at the invincible resistance which the Apaches oppose to the Spaniards, when we reflect on the fate to which they have subjected those other Indians who have allowed themselves to be converted.

The Keres, who at present form the population of St. Domingo, San-Phelipe, and San-Diaz, were one of the most powerful of the twenty-four ancient tribes that formerly occupied New Mexico. They are of a tall stature, with a full figure; and possess a mild and docile disposition. They are become the vassals, or to speak more cor

rectly, the slaves of government, who impose on them BOOK various obligations, such as that of carrying burthens, LXXXV. or leading mules; or they are even subjected to military service, where they are treated with all the barbarity which a white is capable of exercising.

The countries which separate New Mexico from the two The NabaCalifornias are only known through the pious exertions of joa and the Moqui In some Missionaries. In the seventeenth century, the Naba- dians. joa and Moqui Indians had submitted to the Missionaries; a general insurrection, however, in 1680, terminated in the massacre of these apostles of civilization. In the last half of the eighteenth century, the Father Escalante penetrated as far as two great lakes, which appeared to empty themselves on the coast of New California. The water of one of them was salt. The whole of this country seems to be one plateau, little differing from that of New Biscay. One river takes its name from small pyramids of sulphur, with which its banks are covered. The Rio Colorado appears to flow through a fertile country, a part of which is cultivated by industrious Indians. The Raguapiti, the Futas, and the Fabipoi, and especially the Moquis, enjoy a sort of civilization. The latter live on the banks of the Yaquesila, which falls ultimately into the Colorada. The Father Gar- Towns and ces found in their country a town very regularly built, con- edifices. taining houses of several stories, and large public squares. More to the south, on the banks of the river Gila, the same Missionary discovered ruins of a kind of strong castle, with its sides exactly arranged to the four cardinal points. The Indians who live in the neighbourhood of these memorable ruins inhabit populous villages, and cultivate maize, cotton, and the calabash.* These traces of ancient civilization correspond with the traditions of the Mexicans, who affirm that their ancestors repeatedly halted in these regions after leaving the country of Aztlan. Their first station was on the banks of the lake Tequayo;

* Cronica Serafica de el Collegio de Propaganda Fede de Queretaro, Mexico, 1792, quoted by A. de Humboldt, Mexico, II. p. 392, 396, 410.

remarkable

LXXXV.

BOOK their second, on the river Gila; their third, in New Biscay, near the presidio of Yanos, where there are likewise the ruins of edifices, called by the Spaniards casas grandes. Intendency To the east of the gulf of California extend fertile, agreeable, and salubrious countries, but which are still very little known, and thinly inhabited. prised in the intendency of Sonora.

of Sonora.

Pimeria.

varre, &c.

They are com

Pimeria is a country inhabited by the Pimas. The Missionaries have succeeded in reducing this tribe to subjection and civilization. This part of Mexico abounds in gold dust. The Seris, a name that recalls to our recollection a famous nation of Asia, still resists the European New Na yoke. On the Spanish maps, the name of New Navarre appears to comprehend the three provinces of Sonora, Hiaqui, and Mayo. There are very rich mines here. From those of Sonora gold is obtained. The country is very fertile, and is well watered by considerable rivers. That of Hiaqui is the principal one. The town of Arispe, the seat of the intendency, and that of Sonora, contain 7000 or 8000 inhabitants.

Cinaloa.

The province of Cinaloa, better peopled and better cultivated than the preceding ones, contains some important towns, such as Cinaloa itself, with nearly 10,000 inhabitants; Hostimuri and Alamos with rich mines. To the Culiacan. east of this province extends that of Culiacan, of which the capital, the seat of an ancient monarchy, is peopled with nearly 11,000 inhabitants. On the limits of this province, forests of guiava, lemon, and orange-trees begin to be frequent, and the lignum vitæ, and palm, also grow plentifully; but in the interior there are cold and arid mountains.**

New Bis

intendency

The great mountain chain which composes the spine of cay, or the Mexico, traverses throughout its whole length the province of Durango of New Biscay, or the intendency of Durango. The craters of volcanoes, and a mass of iron resembling the stones that have fallen from the atmosphere, excite the attention of the

Alcedo's Diccionario de las Indias, at the word Culiacan.

BOOK

naturalist. The mines of silver are both numerous and rich. The greater part of the country presents the appearance of LXXXV. a barren and sandy plateau. Several of its rivers, not meeting with a favourable declivity for obtaining an outlet, have spread themselves into lakes. The winters, which are often severe, are followed by suffocating heats. Scorpions are spoken of as one of the scourges of the country, their sting proving fatal in a few hours.*

Durango, one of the most eastern towns of New Biscay, is the capital. It contains 12,000 inhabitants. Almost as many are assigned to Chihuahua, (or Chigagua,) the residence of the Captain-General of the provinces denominated Internas. This town is adorned with some magnificent edifices. Batopilas and Cosigirachui, towns with mines, contain from 8000 to 10,000 inhabitants. The Spaniards of this province, always in arms against the Indians, possess an enterprizing and warlike character. The Cumanches, the most redoubted of the natives, equal the Tartars in the rapidity of their charges on horseback. They make use of dogs as beasts of burden. None of the Indians of this province have been reduced to subjection.

Louis

The province of Cohahuila, which is sometimes visited Intendency with scorching winds, abounds in wheat, in wine, and in of San cattle. Monclova is an elegant town; and Santa Rosa Potosi. possesses rich mines of silver. A little province, containing the town of Monterey, has preserved in itself the pompous title of the New kingdom of Leon, which appears to New Leon. have been intended to comprehend all the provinces of the north-east. Great plains, covered with the palm tree, and adapted for the cultivation of sugar and of indigo; some heights waving with oaks, magnolia, and the other trees of Louisiana; a low coast, intersected by numerous lagoons and bays, to which vessels are prevented from entering by a bar of sand; such is the general description of the pro

Pike's voyage to New Mexico, (French Translation,) II. 122.

Pike makes them amount to 45,000,

1

BOOK

Texas. New St. Andero.

vince of Texas, and that of New St. Andero. Not far from EXXXV. the latter town, the port of Sotto la Marina, were it properProvince of ly attended to, might become of some importance to this fertile but deserted country. San Antonio de Bejar, a village composed of mud cabins covered with turf, is the chief place of the province of Texas, so much coveted by the Anglo-Americans, and which has officially received the name of New Estramadura. Some indications of mines, forests similar to those on the banks of the Ohio, a rich soil, and, generally speaking, a healthy climate, attract American adventurers here. But in order to ascertain the value of this province, it would be necessary, by new researches, to discover if the rivers, limpid, deep, and abounding with fish, by which it is watered, are all of them, without exception, rendered inaccessible from the sea, by the bar of sand which extends along the coast. M. de la Salla, who, in 1685, attempted to form an establishment in the bay of St. Bernard, did not find himself opposed by this obstacle.

New Gallicia, or the intenden

The province of St. Louis de Potosi, to the south-west of New St. Andero, contains the town of the same name—the seat of an intendency, and peopled by 12,000 inhabitants. The silver mine of Real de Catorce, discovered in 1773, annually produces from £750,000 to £833,000 sterling. It is the mine nearest to Louisiana.

To the south-west of the above provinces, extend the two intendencies of Zacatecas and Gaudalaxara, forming cies of Za- together the kingdom of New Gallicia. The indigenous and Gua- name of the country was Xalisco. It was inhabited by a dalaxara. warlike race, who sacrificed human beings to an idol in the

catecas,

form of a serpent, and who even, according to the allegation of their first conquerors, the Spaniards, devoured their wretched victims after making them perish in the flames.* This kingdom, twice the size of Portugal, does not contain a population equal to Norway, Zacatecas, a very elevated and very mountainous country, contains a town of the

* Gomara, Historia de las Indias, Cap. 211. Id. Cronica della Nuera-Espanna, Cap. 219.