Henry Billings Brown

“ As the boundaries of this grant, like those of Spanish land grants generally, were fixed by such landmarks,-upon the east by a river; upon the north by a pueblo; upon the south by the lands of another pueblo,-it is natural to suppose that the western boundary was fixed, either by reference to a river, a canada, a pueblo, or a range of mountains (sierra) , also a most common boundary. As the Jemez river is far to the westward of the sierra of that name, it is very improbable that this was intended. ”

“ How much land would be necessary to pasture his stock of sheep and horses would depend so much upon the character of the land and of the size of his herd that it throws no light whatever upon the intended limits of the grant.
3. All these conjectures, however, are preliminary to and as throwing light upon the more important question as to what is meant by the 'Pueblo Viejo de Cochiti,' mentioned in the petition as the northern boundary. Lucero apparently had been a soldier in the Spanish army, had taken part in putting down the rebellion of the Indians, and had a somewhat numerous family. ”

“ We do not regard this as of any decisive weight, however, as it does not take long for a deserted village or house to become known as 'the old house,' etc. It also appears that the Pueblo Viejo is of much greater antiquity than that of Cochiti, and at the time of the grant was a conspicuous object in Cochiti traditions, and so much venerated by the Indians in that vicinity as to be resorted to for religious or semi-religious purposes. This fact is the basis of the main argument for the claimants. ”

“ As a measure of land it appears to have been even more uncertain, indicating, not the quantity of land necessary to raise a fanega of wheat, but that quantity which requires a fanega of wheat to sow it. ”