From New Mexico

Correspondence of The Couri er. Mesilla, N. M., August 80, 18S0. Auiong sorue oí tho surprising objcets of interest that greet the travelcr in New Mexico, nono perhaps excite a greater degree of wonder and delight than tho now famous turquoise mines of Mt. Chalchuitl, of Loa Cerillos. This gein, rarcr, and destined to become inore valuable even than the diamond, is niined nowhere clse on the western continent, and buttwoother mines are known in the world, one of them being in Egypt, worked by a company of English capitalista, and the other in 1'er.sia, the Shahof which kingdom has a standing edict against tho exportation of this precious jcwel to foreign countries. TURQUOISE. Tho market value of turquoise depends upon its purity of color, the niot valuable stones being of a sky blue blcnded slightly with green. Specimens of a fino blue are highly prized, whilo stones of a greenish cast, not combining a Wending of blue, are comparatively valueless, though all grades of turquoise are held io high esteeni by the Indians of the southwest, who have, as far back as history extends, considered the turquoise the most precious of all precious stones. HISTORICAL. By the ancient Mexicans, the turquoise was regarded as of far more value than the emerald, as the latter gom has always been more plentiful than tbe turquoiso Celavigero, in his history of Mexico, alluding to the minor kingdoms, republics and states tributary to the main kingdom, says : "Among other articles of tribute annually required from these nations, mention is made of ten small measures of fine turquoises, and one carqa (240 pounds) ofordinary turquoises." In the second volume of Clavigero's history, the first present from Montezuma to Charles V. of Spain, through Cortez, is referred to as follows: "The present to the Catholic King consisted of various worksof gold, ten bales of most curious robes of feathers, and four gems, so highly valued by the Mexicans, that as Tehuitlile himself affirmed, each gem was worth a load of gold." According to the Mexican system of weights, 240 pounds constituted a load of gold. EstimatinL gold at $20 per ounce, the value of each of these genis, according to Tehuitlilo (a governor and the embassador of Montezuma to Cortez), was over $57,000. It is a well authenticated fact, that these gems referred to wero turquoises, and that they are now among tho crown jewols of Spain. MOÜNT CHALCHUITL. The turquoise mine of which we are writing is embosomcd in the largest of the pinon-covored Cerillos (Mount Chalohuitl) from which the district takes its name, but is distintruished from its ncitrhhors hv tan large excavationa, one on the cast and ono ontliewestsideofthe uiountain. ïhisminc cxtends over twenty acres, and the property is held in fee. The titlo is guaranteed by govorntuent patent, and no royalty is imposed. Mount ChalchuitI is rieh in historie interest. Among the presents sent by Montezuma to the King of Spain, nono were so highly valued by that sovereign as the four turquoises already mention. These stones are still held in superstitious reverence by tho Indians, who regard any attempt on the part of Atncricans to appropriate them as a very sacrilegious proceoding, tliey decming thera sacred to their Gods and Montezuma. Until very recently, so little has besn known of the existence of rainerals in this district, that the land was a few years ago decided, by what the government considered competent authority, to be non-mineral; but long neglccted New Mexico is now experiencing a boom which is turning the tido of capital and immigration, and proclaiming her the Eldorada of the world. In fact New Mexico is on the evc of a uiining excitcment which far exceed the expectations of the tnost sanguine believer. Tho timo has arrived when the Cerillos mines aro to become an important sourco of wealth to New Mexico. The turquoiso mine, and tho San Pedro mines already described, are the most oonspicuous in this distriot. The turquoise mine was worked by the Indians in the timo of tho Aztocs, for turquoise and tho precious metáis, and subsequently wrought by them for thuir SpsDish conquerors. The opening up of this mino by Major D. C. Hyde, a Boston capitalist, for the first time in two hundred ycars, is destined to bring o light vast treasuresof archicological lore, whieh may supply many missing links in tlie chain of history of a country rich in antiquity and minerals. It was during tho year 1G79 that the west side of this iiuiiiouü mountain suddenly and unexpectedly caved in, burying the industrious Indian peons, who were delving in the doomed uiine. Parenthetically it may be remarked that the excavation should have been deeper and wider, and all the " noble red men " of the territory at the bottom of it. This calamity was the iinmediate cause of a general uprising on the part of the Indians, who had for a long time submitted patiently to the cruel yoke of their Spanish oppressors. The rebellion was precipitated by the atteuipt of the Spauiards to iuipress a laiger number of Indians into their service, for tho purpose of reopening the mine. It is generally believed that this mine was workod hundreda of years previous to the discovcry of America, as fragmenta of Aztcc pottery, vases, drinking, eating and cooking utensils, stone haniiners, wedges, mauls and idols are brought to light froiu out the wiilc spread debris. Tbc turquoise Uu ilways been the favorito jewel of tho wesjprn tribes, and was extcnsively in use at the time of the conquest of New Mexico by Coronado in 1541. The oxtent to which Mount Chalchuitl haa been worked in former years, can be conjectured from the vast amount of debris lying around the present shaft workings, it averaging from 30 to 80 feet in depth, and covering no lees than from fifteon to twenty acres of ground. DEYELOPMENTS. After the lapse of two hundred years, and with. the advent of 1880, the work of excivation and exploration has been resumêd. Already many valuable mineral discoverios have been made. On both oast and west sides of tho mountain shafts havo been sunk, whicü are to bc connected at their base through the medium of a subterranoan tunnel. The entrance to tho main and mineral shafts on the west side is 194 feet below the spot whero the Indians originally commenced mining. In the course of dcvelopment, several caves have been unearthed, extending from the lévela of the long abandoned mine. One of the most curious groups has been named tho " Wonder Caves." These caves are about 75 feet northwest of shaft No. 1, on the cast side of the mountain, and appear to have been hermetrically sealed by the Indian peona on their abandonment of the mine. The discovory of their existonce was purely accidental. In the wonder caves can be seeu numerous small veins of turquoise, from on eighth of an inch to two oches in thickness. Besides these veins, strips of gold-bearing quartz border the walls of the central cave. As the work of development progresses it is expected that additional openings will be found through these pillars, or walls, showing that this portion of the mountain was thoroughly honeycombed by the ancients, and the pillars left to support the roof. Near the mouth of the west shaft has been discovered a cavo similar in many respects to those forming the " Wonder" group. This cave was also sealed by the Indians, and is called the "Mystery." It is the intention of the partie.? who have reopened this wonderful mino, to prosecute, with unabated vigor, the work of development, until the wholc mountain shall have been systematically opened up. Tho richness of results to be obtained can hardly be ovor-estimated, as asido from the much prized turquoise known to exist, Mount Chalchuitl is rich in gold and silver, which will pay a large profit for its extraction. From the surface to bed rock the ore assays from $18 to $142, gold largely predominating. Tho district is rich in mineral veins, they being composed of argentiferous galena and silver, at the rale of about 40 to 50 ounces per ton for the surface ores. Prof. Silliman, of Yale college, speaking of the Cerillos says : " Very numerous silver hearing veins intereept the irruptive rocks which form the Cerillos district. The whole región is ono of porphyrytic or irruptive rocks, which have been thrown up in a comparatively recent gcologio period. Tho arca of upheaval is six miles one way, by ibur or five the othor. Without an exception, all tho rocks in this area belong to the irruptive class. Of all the numerous fissures, now being worked in New Mexico, none proiuise botter or more permanent results than the Cerillos." That wonderful discoveries will soon be made in Mount Chalchuitl cannotbe doubted. It being tho only turquoise mine on the continent, the raarkot cannot, to any great extent, become overrun. As the gem has always a market value, it will, ere long, be one of the recognized sources of wealth. When the diamond will havo bccomo inore common than it now is, the turquoise will on account of its rarity, be in demand, and command a high price. THE PLEASANT VALLEYS. Leaving Mesilla on the right, and passing to a point midway between it and Donana, n range of abrupt and preoipitious bluffs is encountered that extond to the east about seventy-five miles, and which, as a spur off of the Ilocky Mountains, is known as the Sacramento Pcaks. Around this rango of mountains lie many of the places that are surrounded with so much of historie and legendary interest whieh cnvelopes the Indian and early Mexican lifc of the territory. In an expanding canon of tho Sacramento range, near the western end, is to be found one of the surpriding mitural features of a section of the country, which abounds in peculiar and wonderful topographical intorest. Here nature seems to havo coneentrated in one spot all tho beauty and loveliness of harmonious landscape- water, valley and pleasant hillside- that exists in the terri tory. The Indians havo Feil naiuod t the the " Pleasant Valleys." It is the locality of what was once a large and populous Aztec village, where now, however, only the rcuinant of an Indian tribe retuains, hut who observe with strict fidolity all the custoins of their predecessors ; for herc it is that tradition says Montezuma was born, and wheu hc went away he told his people to keep the sacrcd fire burning until his return. But he never cauie. The bravost of the tribe watched tho fires and retnained on duty for inany days and nights without food or rest, or as some say, until exhaustcd or dead, and many that came out alive died soon after. llostile Indians, about the year 1760, attacked the town and killed many of the tribe. In 1840 the tribe was reduced to 180 persons, of vrhom but 80 were warriors. All this time they had kept the saered fire burning, but the burden of eternal toreh-Hght was beoomiog too oppressive, and so six warriors went into the woods with tho Gre, and thcro Montezuma himself appeared and rolieved them of it. Being sun worshipers, they looked at the sun every morning, expucting to seo Montezuma return. Nnar the entrance of the canon are some boulders having in thom distinct imprints of human feet as plain as if they were in a soft. clay, and tradition says that these are tho prints of Montezuma's feet when he left. Montezuma must have been of heroic mold. THE TRIBAL CÜSTO.MS. On approaching the canon one ia greeted at tho narrow entrance by tho Caieque, or chief, who motions in no umuiutakable languagc to lay asido all tho delicate ornamenta with which ihe traveler in this land usually bedecks himself, and which are so strongly indicative of hostile purpose. The pilgrim having deposited his portable arsenal and chaincd his dog, as per lordly suggestion, tho chief advances and welcomes the visitor to all the hospitalitics of the " Picasant Valleys." As a further indicatiou of his fnendly intent to his visitor, the chief directs him to the interior of his hut, which by courtesy is called palace, where an ear of corn is broken and a few kernels are eateu by the host and guest in silence, and some spoonfuls of chili soup are taken. The soup causes the digestivo organization of the neophyto to wail as though in mortal anguish. The eating of the corn, I suppose, to be typical of peace and good will, while the sipping of the chili ruay be a foretaste of the torture to be expected by the visitor should he viólate any of the proprieties of life in the " Pleasant Valleys." The writer may not be wholly correct, however, in his conclusions ou this point. As my visit to the Zenuz Indians occurred at the time of the growing crops, and during the dry season, there was witnessed tho interesting ceremony, which is observed by this tribe only, and known as the " spraying of the corn." Surrounding the really beautiful lako, nestling in horseshoe forru at the base of the mountains and in the centre of the valley, are their fields of wheat, corn and chili. About the middle of the month. of July, each year, at 8 o'clock in the evening, ten of the fairest maidens of the tribe, some what tropically dressed, the distinctive article of vesture being a large gold'ring pendant from the noso, are rowed round the border of the lake by two underchiefs. Each carries in her right hand a wooden spoon about four feet in length, with which she throws the water in sheets of spray toward the growing corn. Ilaving come to the farther end of the lake, the tawnyhued nymphs of Ceres seek tho shorc, and running to the small wooden crosses plentifully filling tho field, turn their faces toward the west, while they chant a pastoral to favoring winds, pleasant rains and suc cessful fruitage. Tho chief then walks tho circuit of the fields while the Cercan goddesses are rowed back to the church, where the tribe all asscmble, and in the tripping dance, with the gentle influence of winc and mescal, they continue tho ceremony of " snravinir the corn" until tho morninir