USA > Arizona > The marvellous country : or, Three years in Arizona and New Mexico, the Apaches' home > Part 4
USA > New Mexico > The marvellous country : or, Three years in Arizona and New Mexico, the Apaches' home > Part 4
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59
THEIR DIET.
Tortillas are made of corn, which is first soaked in a weak fye, and then boiled until it is perfectly soft, when it is crushed at a metatte, consisting of two flat stones, and after- wards moulded by the hands into a kind of pancake, and baked on a heated iron or stone. It is a very palatable article of food, and is undoubtedly a specimen of the unleavened bread mentioned in Scripture.
Chilli and frejolies are as necessary to a Mexican as is bread to an American; in fact, they are not unfrequently his diet for months. Meat is rarely eaten by them, and never unless cooked in chilli colorado, or garlic.
Give a Mexican a peck of beans and a string of red pep- pers, and he is thoroughly contented; nor will he work while a particle of either remains.
Having heard much of the ruins of an ancient city lying about one hundred and twenty miles northeast of Mesilla, said to be one of the celebrated "Seven cities of Cibola," I arranged to visit them.
Organizing a party of five, with eight Mexican servants, we started with two ambulances and six pack mules. Our first day's journey brought us to the foot of the Organ Mountains, where we camped for the night in a beautiful grove of live-oak.
The next morning we took an early start, and reached the summit of the pass about noon.
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60
FEAR OF THE APACHES.
Here we paused for a while to gaze with wonder and admiration upon the vast plain spread out before us.
Far in the distance rose in majesty the lofty peaks of the Sacramento Mountains, near which we expected to find the ruins of Le Gran Quivera. These mountains were also the
LOS ORGANOS MOUNTAINS.
home of the Coytero and Mescallaro Apaches, two of the worst bands in the whole nation. It was with these Indians that Lieutenant Lazelle, of the United States Army, had a desperate fight at Dog Cañon the year before, and the question naturally arose, should we be permitted to quietly
61
SALT LAKES.
pursue our explorations, or should we have trouble with them ?
Upon questioning our guide as to the probabilities of an - encounter, he shrugged his shoulders, and ominously shak- ing his head, gave us the usual philosophical reply of the Mexican, " Quien Sabe? " or "Who knows?"
Half-way across this vast sandy plain two or three blue specks were visible, which, our guide informed us, were salt lakes; also, that it was from the shores of these lakes that the Spaniards formerly procured their salt, and even the present inhabitants of the Territory used it to a large extent. He said, that in close proximity to these lakes was a very pecul- iar sandstone formation, well worth seeing; and, as all were but a few miles distant from our direct route, we determined to visit them. Bringing our glasses to bear upon that portion of the plain pointed out by the guide, we saw what seemed to us to be a large city, with its spires and domes and towers glittering in the bright sunlight, and rivalling in splendor even the creations of the genii conjured by " Aladdin's wonderful lamp."
But we must not linger longer admiring the wonderful panorama spread out before us, or we shall fail to reach the wood and water level before night-fall. We there fore descend the mountain, and are once more upon the plain.
Upon reaching a beautiful little stream that comes trick-
62
A CITY NOT MADE WITH HANDS.
ling down the sides of a rocky canon, we encamp for the night.
Sunrise finds us again on our journey, and after a hard day's jaunt over the same unchangeable plain, night brought us to the first of the lakes whose blue waters had so en- chanted us the day previous.
Its shores were white with pure, crystallized salt, and we were told by our guide that carettas full were carried away every year, in its natural state.
The next morning the guide called us to behold the wonder- ful effect of the rising sun upon the city of enchantment that we had seen from the mountain the day before. As we ap- proached this marvellous architecture of the elements, we could not repress exclamations of wonder and delight. Streets were plainly visible; massive temples with their spires and domes; monuments of every conceivable shape ; castles of huge proportions; towers and minarets, all formed of pure white silica, which glittered in the bright sunlight like walls of crystal. It was hard to persuade ourselves that art had had no part in forming these graceful testimo- nials to the wonders of nature.
"Surely," said Dr. Parker, "this must be a city." "Yes," replied I, "a city, but not made with hands."
Around the whole was a massive wall ten feet in height, with arched gateways and entrances as perfect as it is possible for the imagination of man to conceive. Entering
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FRUITLESS ANTELOPE HUNT.
the confines of this magical spot, we were soon undeceived, for what in the distance our imagination had conceived to be enchanted ground, was, in reality, a mass of white sand- stone, worn by the winds and waters into a wonderful similitude of a magnificent city.
Regretfully turning our backs upon this marvel of nature, we resumed our journey, camping at night on the banks of a little mountain stream called the Tularosa, said to abound in trout, and whose waters sunk quietly into the plain about two miles from where it left the rugged side of the mountains.
As we approached the camping-ground, I noticed on a little eminence to the left a herd of antelope feeding. Un- strapping the blanket from my saddle, I handed it, with my rifle, to an attendant; and informing the party that we should have antelope steak for supper, I started after the . herd, thinking I could easily kill one with my revolver. As I approached, they trotted leisurely off, I following them, and paying no attention to the course they took, so intent was I on securing some fresh meat for supper. The chase became an exciting one, and before I was aware of it the sun had sunk to his rest, and night was rapidly ap- proaching.
Reluctantly I gave up the chase and turned towards camp, when, to my surprise and mortification, I became convinced that I had no means of ascertaining its direction, -- in short, I
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SUDDEN ALARM.
was lost; and as darkness was already shadowing the earth, there was no alternative but to encamp for the night alone on the prairie.
To unsaddle my mule, picket him, and then examine the condition of my revolver, was but the work of a few minutes. Then, with my saddle for a pillow, I laid myself down upon the grass, with no covering save the starry heavens; and, being quite fatigued with the day's journey, soon dropped into a profound slumber.
I must have been sleeping some hours, when I was sud- denly awakened by the snorting of my mule. Apprehensive that all was not right, I immediately arose, and taking my pistol, approached the spot where he was fastened.
I found him with eyes fixed, nostrils distended, forefeet firmly braced, and endeavoring, by every means in his power, to break his lariat, which, fortunately, was made of hair, and successfully resisted his efforts.
The first glance convinced me that Indians were near, for a mule will detect an Indian a long distance off by the smell. After much coaxing, I finally succeeded in quieting him a little, though he still showed unmistakable signs of extreme terror, trembling in every limb like an aspen leaf. I then lay down, and supporting myself upon my elbows, to enable me to bring my eyes on a level with the top of the grass, endeavored to ascertain what it was that had so frightened the animal.
A CITY NOT MADE WITH HANDS.
65
AN ANIMATED BUSH.
I lay perfectly still for some time, straining my eyes in the direction I had found my mule looking, buc could dis- cern no cause for alarm. Still, from the continued agita- tion of the animal, I was convinced that there was reason for apprehension. Not a sound could be heard save the beating of my own heart, and the long, unsteady breathing of the mule.
I remember that the short, quick yelp of a prairie wolf seemed to me to be the most grateful sound to which I had ever listened, so intense was the stillness. Not a breath of air stirred the light tops of the grass.
At last I saw, or fancied I saw, some distance from me, a small bush that I had not noticed before. I tried to remem- ber having seen the bush when I lay down for the night, but all to no purpose. As I gazed, fascinated, as it were, by the appearance of the bush, it suddenly occurred to me that I could see it more distinctly than at first, and con- gratulating myself on the approaching daylight, was begin- ning to take courage, when I thought I saw the bush move.
As no air was stirring, this could hardly be; and yet, as I watched it, slowly and surely it came towards the spot where I lay.
Suddenly the thought flashed upon me that immediately after leaving the Organos Mountains we had noticed Indian smoke-signals, and also in the Sacramento Mountains as we approached them the previous day. In an instant I clearly
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66
A MOMENT OF SUSPENSE.
comprehended my situation,- I was surrounded by Apaches, who had seen me separate from my companions, and had followed me, determined to have my scalp. What should I do?
If I fired my revolver, I should at once disclose my posi- tion to my foes; if I lay still, I should certainly be shot or
THE FORTUNATE SHOT.
tomahawked. I already fancied I could feel the sharp flint points of the Apache arrows in my body, and thought if I should be killed in the position in which I was now lying, my friends, should they ever find my body, would have
67
A SHOT IN THE DARK.
reason to presume that I was trying my best to escape when overtaken.
I rapidly revolved the chances in my mind, all the time conscious that the bush was coming nearer and nearer, and finally determined that I would have one shot, let the con- sequences be what they might. I waited as long as I dared, and then, placing the barrel of my pistol between the fore and middle fingers of my left hand, to enable me to sight properly, I aimed at the foot of the bush and fired.
A yell, and I saw the bush no longer.
Already, to my excited imagination, a dozen tomahawks were whizzing through the air. The hum of a bug carelessly flying over me was the zip of an arrow. The suspense of the remaining hours until daylight was terrible. One thing alone tended to assure me,- my mule was quietly feeding ; this seemed to indicate that there was no longer any immediate danger. Still the thought that Apaches were rarely alone in their raids, kept me in a state of agonizing suspense.
And so the tedious hours wore on, till at last the first gray streak of daylight was just discernible in the east. I immediately saddled my mule, and taking him by the bit with one hand, and carrying my revolver cocked in the other, I slowly started for the bush, which was about fifty feet from the spot where I had lain.
I found a long, snake-like trail, showing that whoever
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68
THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
carried the bush had approached me on his belly, using his elbows with which to propel himself.
Following the trail about eighty yards, I saw in the bottom of a small aroya an Indian, to all appearance asleep. He lay on his side. One half of his face was painted a bright vermilion, the other half daubed with mud, showing him to be in disgrace for some offence with his tribe, the penalty for which he proposed to settle with my scalp and my mule.
I descended into the aroya, and taking his bow and arrows, with his scalp, made for the highest ground in the vicinity, where, after a few minutes' anxious watching, I was rewarded by seeing a "white man's smoke" far away to my left, for which I struck a "bee line."
An hour's smart riding brought me within sight of the camp, from which a party were just starting out for the pur- pose of helping me bring in the antelope steak I had so generously offered to provide the evening before. A hearty breakfast of bacon and corn bread, with a dish of coffee, · in some measure atoned for the loss of the fresh meat; but I then and there declared I never would go marketing again in that country alone. I haven't killed an antelope since!
CHAPTER V.
Dr Parker. T was noon the next day be- fore our little party was ready to start on the trail through the Sacramento Mountains. We decided to take the road to Fort Stanton, then located in that range, as being the best point from which to start for the ruins, of which: we had heard so much, and that so few Americans had ever visited. A short journey up the beautiful valley of the Tularosa, and Dr. Parker met us with as fine a string of speckled trout as I ever saw caught, even in the streams of New England, or the wilds of Lake Superior. A few miles farther on, and our guide (pointing to an opening high up on the side of the moun- tain, which was sparsely covered with balsam and fir trees, over which a fire had passed some two or three years before,
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70
EXCITING BEAR HUNT.
killing the growth of the trees, but leaving them standing) remarked, "Yonder is the hole of a Cinnamon bear."
The information was electrical in its effect, all expressing themselves, as with one accord, eager to share the adven- ture of a bear-hunt - myself excepted - I having had quite enough of that kind of sport, for the present at least. Still I resolved to stay by and watch the fun, for fun I was sure there would be before Bruin yielded himself captive. Selecting a position some distance from the scene of action, where I could observe the movements of the party, I watched them, rifles in hand, slowly and labo- riously ascending the steep side of the mountain, here catch- ing hold of the charred limb of a balsam, which snapped like a pipe-stem at the touch; now balancing themselves on a stone, which failed to give a firm footing, as with difficulty they worked themselves up to the mouth of the cave, where his cinnamon-colored majesty was supposed to hibernate.
The guide, who acted as leader, took a position directly over the mouth of the cave, pointing out to the others the places they were to occupy, with directions that as soon as the bear should emerge from his den, each one should fire, aiming directly behind the shoulder-blade.
When all had announced themselves ready, the guide picked up a handful of large pebbles and commenced drop- ping them immediately in front of the mouth of the cave.
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IMPROMPTU GYMNASTICS.'
In a few moments his bearship, evidently annoyed at this unwarrantable intrusion, slowly poked his head out of the cave, and proceeded to take a calm survey,
" Of such as, wandering near his secret bower, Molest his ancient, solitary reign."
Just at this juncture Rogers, who had been stationed the farthest off, fired. The bullet evidently struck the bear in his nose; for, putting his huge paw beside it for an instant, and uttering a terrific growl, he sprang forward in the direction of Dr. Parker.
The doctor, seeing the bear approach, threw down his rifle, and hastily betook himself to a dead fir close by, about as big at its base as his wrist. This he labored as hard to climb as I ever saw a man work in my life. The branches snapped at every touch; but the doctor was so intent on reaching a place of safety, that, as he afterwards remarked, he certainly thought he was making fine progress in ascend- ing one of the giants of the forest.
Before the bear had made many steps towards the scene of the doctor's desperate exertions, two well-directed shots touched him in a vital spot, and, slowly rolling over, he fell on his side - dead. It was now the time to laugh; and as I had been an interested spectator in the affray, I rehearsed the scene as taken by a "special artist on the spot," amid peals of laughter from the rest of the party
72
FORT STANTON.
who had been too busily engaged at the time to notice the ludicrous appearance of the doctor, and his amusing attempts to reach an ark of safety.
The bear furnished us a fine lot of fresh meat, and many were the sly remarks I was obliged to hear on my success as a "marketist." That night we had a delicious meal of bear meat, which we cooked on the end of a stick over the coals. Thus ended my first bear-hunt in Arizona.
Starting with the sun the next morning, we travelled all day through rocky cañons and narrow passes, toiling wearily along, till, just as the sun was setting, we reached Fort Stanton, where we received a cordial welcome from Major Ruff, of the Dragoons, who was at that time in command. We spent a couple of days very pleasantly at the Fort, and the major kindly volunteered to send for a friendly Indian, living near, to act as guide to the ruins, situated some fifty miles north of the Fort, an offer of which we gladly availed ourselves.
. It was on the 18th of July, 1859, that we started to visit the ruins of Le Gran Quivera. A two days' journey, with no incident worthy of note, brought us to a place on the plain about ten miles distant from the mountain. Here we discovered the remains of a large acequia fully twelve feet in depth, with the usual supply of smaller ones running in all directions, showing that a large quantity of land had at come time been under cultivation. Near here we encamped
THE BEAR-HUNT.
73
WONDERFUL AQUEDUCT.
for the night. Noon the next day found us among the ruins of what had once been a city of not less than sixty thousand inhabitants.
The ruins extended for miles in a northerly and southerly direction, and consisted of old adobe houses, some of the walls standing from four to six feet high, others showing a line only a few inches above the earth. We also found the ruins of massive churches. Over the main entrance of two of these were sculptured the coat-of-arms of old Spain, while the walls, still standing, measured sixty feet in height. We found the ruins of what seemed to have been a large cathedral or temple, corresponding in some degree to the ruins of the Casas Grandes, found upon the Gila in 1694, as described by Father Kino. Also the ruins of a stone aqueduct, of sufficient size to enable a person to easily pass through it. The stones appeared to be laid in a kind of cement, which had preserved its adhesive quali- tie's wonderfully.
This aqueduct was undoubtedly used for bringing water from the mountains, for we traced it nearly fourteen miles towards a spot in the mountains that gave evidence of hav- ing once been a large spring. Near this place we found several old shafts or openings in the side of the mountains, plainly showing that at some early day they had been extensively worked as mines.
Of the town we have no authentic history, save that it
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74
AN INDIAN TRADITION.
was one of the "Seven cities of Cibola," into which, with- out doubt, the Spaniards intruded themselves, gradually obtaining control of it through the influence which the Church exercised over the people. There is a tradition among the Indians to the effect that this was once a very large and wealthy Aztec city, with exceedingly rich mines, the product of which was carried twice a year to Montezuma, until the entrance into the city by the Spaniards, when it was shipped direct to old Spain.
At one season - supposed to be about 1680 - when the people were making extraordinary exertions for transporting the precious metals, the Apaches attacked them, whereupon the miners buried their treasure, worth fifty millions, and left the city together. They were all massacred, except two who succeeded in escaping to Mexico, where they gave the particulars of the affair, and solicited aid to return and recover the treasure. But the distance was so great, and the Indians so numerous, no one was found willing to run the risk of so perilous an undertaking. One of the two after- wards went to New Orleans, then under the dominion of old Spain, where he raised five hundred men, and started by way of the Sabine. This expedition was never after- wards heard from.
All attempts to visit these ruins in search of treasure are thwarted by the Apaches, who punish with death any intruders. Dr. Wislizenus, in his "Tour through Northern
75
" THE SORROWS OF" - PARKER.
Mexico," speaks of the ruins of the aqueduct, the churches, the seulptured coat-of-arms, the pits showing the location of the silver mines, and also relates the tradition of the Indians.
When the city was built, and by whom, are questions that every beholder must ask as he stands among these crumbling monuments of an extinct race. We spent two days among these ruins. We didn't expect to find the treasure, and we were not disappointed.
Notwithstanding our guide informed us that nearly all the warriors of the two bands which inhabit these mountains had gone to the Navajoe country on a stealing expedition, we were uncomfortably reminded by frequent Indian smokes round about us, that there was some life yet left in the vicinity; and on the morning of our departure it was dis- covered that two of our pack mules and Dr. Parker's horse had been stolen during the night. This evidence of the near proximity with an enemy we had much reason to dread, caused us to make a hurried and early start, regard- less of Dr. Parker's urgent entreaties that we should make an effort to recover his horse, which, he assured us, with tears in his eyes, he still owed for!
Even this sad announcement failed to change our deter- mination to go, and go at once; and go we did, in the direction of the Rio Grande, leaving, as we fondly hoped, not the ruins only, but the Indians also, behind us.
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76
A PETRIFIED FOREST.
Striking a course nearly due west, we started on a trail which our guide thought would bring us to the Rio Grande, somewhere near the mouth of the Rio Puerco. After half a day's travel, our course seemed to lie more to the north; and just at night we came to the banks of a little creek. called by Major Emery, in his report, the Little Bonita.
Here we came upon the remains of a petrified forest, prostrate, and partially buried in a kind of red marl. Hundreds of trees lay here, and had been converted by some chemical process into specimens of variegated jasper. One tree that we saw measured ten feet in diameter, and was over a hundred feet in length. Some looked as if they had been charred by fire; their trunks were of a dark brown color, while the smaller branches and twigs were of a reddish hue. To me there was something impressively wonderful in this stupendous result of old Nature's labors in her secret laboratory. Who should divine the cause ? Who tell the history of the prostrate forest? How long has it there existed, and how many more centuries will it lie there undisturbed ?
We brought away some beautiful specimens, although, owing to the depredations of our Apache friends, we were somewhat short of means of transportation. We found the waters of the creek delightfully cool and pleasant to the taste; and notwithstanding the suggestion of one of the party, that it might have the same effect upon us that it had
77
ORIGINAL EPITAPH.
es idently had upon the giants of the forest lying around us, we all drank of it freely, and enjoyed its refreshing coolness. Dr. Parker feelingly alluded to the loss of his horse, and the miseries of a pedestrian life through such a rough country, and urged us, in case we should observe any appearance of petrifaction about him, not to leave him by the road-side, for the purpose of petrifying the traveller who came after us, but to give him Christian burial; and that for a head- stone we should use a piece of the rock on which he split, with this inscription thereon: "Horseless and homeless a wanderer passed."
Promising to comply with his desires, a gleam of genuine satisfaction illumined his countenance, and we resumed our journey. The next day we arrived in sight of the cotton- wood trees which line the banks of the Rio Grande; and a pleasant sight it was too, after a hard day's toil over the rough, pebbly soil of the plains, without water or the grate- ful shade of even a single tree to shield us from the rays of the burning sun. We were glad enough to encamp for the night at a little spot where there was a prospect of our poor animals obtaining a supply of grass.
Before the sun rose the next morning we were on our way to the Rio Grande. We reached it about noon, striking the river at a point near the ruins of Valverde. Here we found encamped a family of Missourians, named Pennington, who were on their way to the Calabasas country. The old
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78
A BRAVE MISSOURIAN.
man had with him seven daughters, ranging all the way from thirteen to thirty years of age, and was going out to make a home on the Calabasas, where he had a son living. He was a fine, athletic-looking person, and was thoroughly imbued with the idea that he had just as much right to live in this country as the cowardly Apaches.
"And," said the old man, as he straightened himself up, and significantly tapped his rifle, "I'm d-d if I don't do it!"
Some months later, when in Tucson, a woman named Paige was brought into the town, who had been found in the mountains by a party of soldiers under Captain Ewell, since a major-general in the Rebel service. I went to see her at the fonda, where she was carried, and such a pitiable sight I hope never to see again. Naturally a good-sized woman, she was now wasted to a mere skeleton. Such a picture of starvation can never be portrayed by language. The glaring, hungry eyes, the sunken temples, the lips drawn so tightly over the jaw that each tooth could be easily counted through them, the arms scarcely larger than a man's thumb, and the continuous cry for food, was a spectacle to fill one with horror. I saw her a few hours later, and to my surprise she recognized me, and spoke of our meeting on the Rio Grande, near Valverde. I then learned that she was one of old Pennington's daughters, and had married a man named Paige, living near Tubac.
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