famous for its vineyards and orchards; and except the raids of hostile gentiles, its chief concern was about its irrigating ditches and the dam of the Rio del Norte, which supplied them. This dam was usually carried away by the floods of May-July. A doc. in the Pinart col. shows the constant but futile efforts of the authorities in '54-62 to collect a special tax of 50 cents on each 100 vines to build a solid dam. There were 250,000 vines, but the owners declared they were too poor to pay the tax either in money or work. In this district were S. Lorenzo, Senecú, Isleta, and Socorro, respectively 1, 3, 5, and 6 1. eastward down the river; also Carrizal, 36 1. toward Chihuahua, founded in '58; pop. 161 Span. in '60, with a guard of 20 soldiers from El Paso; later site of the presidio.

35

CHAPTER XIII.

LAST YEARS OF SPANISH RULE.

1801-1822.

Two BOOKS-SUCCESSION OF GOVERNORS-CHACON, ALENCASTER, MAINEZ, MANRIQUE, ALLANDE, MELGARES, CHAVEZ, AND VIZCARRA-INDIAN AFFAIRS COMANCHES, NAVAJOS, AND MOQUIS MELGARES IN THE NORTH-EAST-ELECTION OF a Delegate TO THE CORTES-PEDRO BAUTISTA PINO GOES TO SPAIN THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE AND ARY QUESTION-LALANDE AND PURSELY-ZEBULON M. PIKE-ATTEMPTS AT 1RADE -MCKNIGHT-CHOTEAU AND DE MUN-GLENN, BUCKNELL, AND COOPERPOPULATION-LOCAL ITEMS-TRADE-AGRICULTURE-MANUFACTURES—

MINING

INSTITUTIONS-GOVERNMENT-MILITARY-MISSIONS AND BISHOPRIC CHARGES AGAINST THE FRIARS-WAR OF INDEPENDENCE-VIVA ITURBIDE!

THE same kind providence that causes rivers to flow near large towns, the moon and stars to shine at night, when their feeble light is of some use, sends snow only in the winter, when there is no hot sun to melt it, and performs other beneficent acts, is not always unmindful of the annalist's needs. Thus, when the history of the last years of Spanish rule in New Mexico seemed likely to resemble the famous chapter on snake; in Ireland, not only was it put into the head of the United States government to send an explorer to this far-off province, and of the people to send a delegate to the cortes of Spain, but both explorer and delegate were inspired with the idea of writing a book, as the friar Benavides and the conqueror Villagrá had been in earlier times; and the result was a mass of information which goes far to make this chapter as long and as interesting as those that have preceded it.

For this, as for earlier periods, I do not deem it necessary to consider here the complications of military and civil government in the Provincias Internas of northern Mexico, a subject that is as fully treated as the meagre records permit in another work of this series.1 There was always a governor or acting governor in New Mexico, subordinate to the comandante general of the Provincias, a state of things which has led modern writers into some confusion, causing them to include some of the southern officials in their lists of governors, just as they brought sever I viceroys of New Spain to rule the province in earlier times. Governor Chacon ruled until the spring of 1805, when he was succeeded by Colonel Joaquin del Real Alencaster. The latter's name does not appear after 1808, and Alberto Mainez is named as acting governor in 1807-8, and next in the list is Lieutenant-colonel José Manrique, ruling in 1810-14, perhaps ad interim for part of that period. Mainez ruled again in 1815-17,3 Pedro María de Allande in 1816-18, and Facundo Melgares-who as a lieutenant serving in Chihuahua had visited New Mexico before-in 1818-22. Melgares was the last governor under Spain, and was succeeded on July 5, 1822, by Francisco Javier Chavez as jefe político, ruling in 1822-3, though Antonio Vizcarra also held the office for a time in 1822.*

2

1 Hist. North Mex. States, i., ii.

2I find in the Arch. Sta Fé, MS., an order of Chacon in March, and of Alencaster in May 1805. The latter name is a form of the English Lancaster, more often written, except in N. Mex., Alencastre, as in the case of the viceroy of that name. Pino, Erpos., 40, seems to say that A. was gov. from 1835 to 1812, and this may indicate that his successor in 1808–12 was only acting gov.

Also in '14, acc. to Davis, El Gringo, 83, who says that in that year a conspiracy was formed by Corp. Antonio Armijo and Dionisio Valdés, who were exiled for 10 years to Chihuahua.

In the Gaceta de Mex. of March 7, '19, the governorship of N. Mex. is declared vacant, and aspirants are notified to send in their petitions. Melgares, in the documents of '19-20, is called gov. ad interim. I regret that I am not able in this period, as I have been in earlier ones, to correct from original sources the list of governors, and an obliged to follow Davis, Meline, Ritch, Prince, etc., though there is evidently a little confusion of dates. They take their information from land-grants, etc., in the archives, and in the U. S. Land Reports, and my original notes add nothing of importance.

Troubles with the Indians were much less serious and constant than in former years, the combined efforts of the frontier garrisons, with a consistent system of treaties and gifts, producing apparently excellent results. The Comanches, in particular, were friendly, being zealous in bringing information and rumors respecting the movements of Americans in the north-east, and even eager to aid Spain in crushing the insurgents under Hidalgo; and the other tribes were often in the same mood.5 The Navajos were hostile, however, in 1803-5, having intrenched themselves in the cañon de Chelly-since famous for its ruined pueblos-where they deemed their position impregnable. Governor Chacon led several expeditions against them, as did Lieutenant Antonio Narbona after Alencaster's accession, and in 1805 they were reduced to submission and friendship. In 1806 Lieutenant Melgares was sent up from Chihuahua with 100 dragoons to join a force of 500 militia in an

6

Pino, Expos., 42-4. This author says the Ind., by gifts, etc., had been kept friendly for the most part since Anza's time down to 1811.

6 Jan. 25, 1805, Narbona to gov. reports from Zuñi a fight in Chelly cañon, where he killed 90 bucks, with 25 women and children, besides capturing 36, with 30 women and children; also 30 horses and 350 sheep. He had only one Ind. chief killed and 64 wounded. Chelly is a very strong position, and a larger force will be required for further movements. Arch. Sta Fé, MS. In 1804 the com. gen. refuses to grant a request of the Navajos to settle at Cebolleta. MS. of Pinart col. March 25, 1805, Gov. C. announces the terms to be granted the Navajos. They shall have no claim to Cebolleta or to livestock in possession of the Span.; for their 2 captives 4 women might be released; they must not go with their live-stock beyond the cañon de Juan Tafoya, Rio del Oso, and S. Mateo; whenever they commit any robbery or aggression they are to be punished by force of arms, unless they return stolen property and surrender the aggressors; when visiting Sta Fé they must expect no gifts except sustenance; and they must give up 4,000 sheep, 150 cattle, and 60 horses which they have stolen. Arch. Sta Fé, MS. Pino, Expos., 40-1, Not., 85-6, narrates in general terms the final efforts and success, the fall of Chelly, and the treaty of 1805. It seems that Lieut. Narbona was sent up from Chih. to join Gutierrez, Vaca, and others. Lieut. Vicente Lopez also defeated the foe at Chacá, but was suspended for some intrigue in 1808. April 1806 the Navajo chief complains that he receives no gifts from the king, as do other friendly tribes; but is informed by Gen. Salcedo that they must depend on their own industries for sustenance, though later, when they shall have shown their good faith by abstaining from petty robberies, etc., they may obtain some gifts. Arch. Sta Fé, MS. I think that Prince, Hist. Sk., 232, exaggerates the magnitude and constancy of Navajo troubles in this and later periods, though they doubtless gave more trouble than other tribes.

expedition out into the north-eastern plains. This was not a campaign against the Indians, but a tour of exploration, undertaken with a view to conciliate the natives and to look out for American explorers and filibusters; for the intention of the United States to explore their newly acquired Louisiana territory had been announced, and there were also reports of Burr's conspiracy as likely to affect the Spanish frontier. Melgares went down the Red River, held a council with the Comanches, crossed northward to the Arkansas, made a visit to the Pawnee nation on the Kansas, distributing medals and flags, and thence perhaps went up the Arkansas to the mountains, returning to Santa Fé in October. He did not find any Americans, of whose doings in that region I shall have something to say presently."

Pino, in his report of 1812, declares the system of treaties and gifts as a feature of the new Indian policy to have been a grand success in every way. He also relates that in 1811 José Rafael Sarracino made an expedition to the Yuta country to investigate the truth of their reports respecting a Spanish people dwelling in the far north-west. In three months he reached a region where the natives had knives and other implements of European manufacture, obtained, as they said, from a people living beyond a great river, which Sarracino could not or did not cross." 8 In 1818 -19 the Navajos renewed their hostilities. It was

Pike's Acct. of Exped., 142-3, 206; Prince's Hist. Sk., 231, and other works. I have found no information of this exped. except that originating from Pike's book. A treaty with the Mescalero and Gileño Apaches is noted in 1810, no rations being granted, and their hunting-grounds being clearly designated. MS. of '32 in Pinart col.

8

& Pino, Expos., 41-4; Not., 84-8. P. notes that the Comanche chief at this time was a son of the old chief Maya, educated at Sta Fé, and a firm friend of the Span. He also says the Americans had established gun factories (?) among the Jumanas and Cahiguas, and muskets and powder from this source were obtained for N. Mex. (This is in a note, which may possibly be of later date.) In connection with Sarracino's exped., respecting the date of which Pino may be in error, it is well to note that in Aug. 1808 an Ind. from the Tulares arrived at S. Fernando, Cal., with a flag that had been sent through a cordillera of 10 tribes by a captain who wished to know if it were true that there were padres and gente de razon west of the sierra. Hist. Cal., ii. 85. I may notice also that in 1801 a project for opening commun. bet. Cal. and N. Mex. by land was discussed and dismissed in Mex. Id., 3-4.