The Life and Adventures of Kit Carson, the Nestor of the Rocky Mountains, from Facts Narrated by HimselfPeters, De Witt C. (De Witt Clinton)
History
The Life and Adventures of Kit Carson, the Nestor of the Rocky Mountains, from Facts Narrated by Himself
Peters, De Witt C. (De Witt Clinton)
Carson Kit, 1809-1868; Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.)
On the first-named stream, there is a small and unattractive
settlement, which bears the same name. Several years since, there was
a large distillery in full operation at this place. This establishment
was owned by an American, and was very extensive. The building was
celebrated as being the place where several Americans were slaughtered
by the Mexicans during the revolution, in which Governor Bent lost his
life, heretofore spoken of. On the plain which is contiguous with the
south bank of the Arroya Hondo, there are to be found the remains of
a large Aztec town, which was, at some remote period, the largest
settlement inhabited by that interesting people to be found in
northern New Mexico. At the present day, can be seen the size and
almost the number of houses which formed the town--which are very
numerous. The building material, as here used by the Aztecs, was small
cobble-stones which undoubtedly were mixed with mud and thus formed
the structure. Pieces of pottery, flint arrow-points; stone pipe and
rude tools have been, from time to time, found on the site of the
town, going to prove that the people were not wandering in their
habits, but that instead, they occupied their time in farming, raising
cattle and mining. The wild Indians may have murdered the inhabitants,
and then destroyed the town; or, civil war and pestilence might have
caused it to become deserted, when, as a natural result, it fell to
decay. The most plausible theory to entertain is the former, as every
old Mexican town of the north contains relics which could not have
been designed merely in case of an emergency. Not one of these towns
in olden times was without a large well, which, in most instances,
was bountifully supplied with water. In time of peace, these extensive
reservoirs were covered over and concealed from view, and therefore,
but few strangers could be made aware of their existence. On the
breaking out of war, these wells were thrown open for public use, and,
being located in the centre of the towns, the inhabitants escaped that
danger in procuring water which necessarily would have surrounded them
in case they had been obliged, as they are now, to bring it from the
neighboring streams. As time rolled on, and danger was lessened,
these wells were almost forgotten, until the timber which covered them
rotted and allowed their fragments and the earth to cave in, when
the object of the digging these reservoirs became apparent. It is an
established fact in history, that the town of Taos once withstood
a long and fearful siege, but finally escaped, as did its people,
uninjured. The besieging party, in this instance, was composed of
the Indians of the plains; they were present to the number of many
thousand, and were at last compelled to depart, as is supposed, in
consequence of their provisions giving out. Reasoning from analogy,
it is no more than proper to suppose, that if the early settlements of
the Mexicans were thus annoyed, the case of the Aztecs must have
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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