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Show [ 23] 28 Moro is 15 feet wide, and averages one foot in depth at the ford. The Rio "Sepullo" is smaller,. but worthy of the greatest share of notice, as it is the point at whtch we agam meet the road that ~e. ]eft at the crossing of the Arkansas. Althoug~ that road a~o1ds the terrible caiion of the Raton, yet the scarcity of water Is ~0 great that, in dry seasons, the. teams get brok.e · down, and one IS obli()'ed to send into New Mexico for fresh ammals. D~ring the march, we saw seve~al im~ense rattlesnakes; o~e happened to be crossing: th.e road duectly m m! path. I ~eard 1 1t rattle, anti. my mule spnngmg b~ck several yards and gettt?g entangled with the leading mules m .the wagon, the trace chams .he· came unhooked, and for a little hme threw the whole team mto confusio·n. Towards the latter part of our route, the road was strewed ~ith fragments of hard blue limestone, .that made the ~agon rattle away at a great ·rate. After a march m all of 27 miles, ~e .. reached "Las Vegas." As it was .near sundown, we deferred Vlsthng the village until the next morning. We soon. sat down to a supper of ducks, (fulica Americana;) they were very · fat: and although a species of du.ck n?t very highly ap· preciated in the United States, still I thmk 1t must be merely owing to prejudice. They are generally known as the common coot. September 24.-As soon as we arose a Mexican came over to·pay us a visit; he was mounted on a fine horse, and appeared to be on duty, guarding the corn fields that lay around the town, for they have no fences to protect the~ against devastation from the cattle that are grazing near them. . Our "amigo" rendered us great assistance in harnessing ~ wild mule, for we were obliged to tie the fore feet, and blindfold 1t, be· fore the harness cou'ld be arranged. We now entered the town of "Las Vegas." There was a large open space in the middle of the town; the streets run north and south, east and west; the houses are built of "adobes." The "azoteas," or roofs, have just eno~gh inc1ination to turn the rain, and the walls of the houses, wh1ch are continued up one foot above the roof, are pierced for this ~ur· pose. Through the midst of the town there was a large "aceqma," ?r .can~l, for the purpose of supplying the town with water, and of Irngatmg the fields. As we passed through, I asked one of the inhabitants if he had any corn to sell, " Si, Senor Caballero; ten go maize, elote cala· bazas, melones, y Chili tambien," and he soon brought me some corn on the ear, some pumpkins, melons, and red pepper; an~, after I had concluded my purchases, he pulled a bottle out of hiS pocket, saying, " No quiere vmd. whiske:" This was the alcalde. Two miles south of "Las Vegas," we reached a curious gate b~· tween high escarpments of rugg·ed granite rocks, that looked as 1f the surfaces had been formed by blasting with gunpowder; here, too, a httle stream finds its exit from the mountains. At 10 o'clock we reached the village of "Tacalote," after a march of 12 miles. I was obliged to camp here or else go to the 29 [ 23] "Ojo Vernal," where, I was informed, the grass was very scanty. I went some distance up the creek at " Tacalote," and encamped in a fine meadow of grass, close to some corn fielJs. Some of the inhabitants came out, and said that I must not camp there, as my mules would get into th eir corn fields, but upon my promising to keep good watch over them, they agreed to let me remain. At this place they have a great many sheep and goats, the latter are kept for their milk. These animals are w_atched all day by the" pastores," and driven into the "corral" at night. 1 here purchasEd some " miel," or molasses manufactured from corn stalks, this process is very laborious; all night and day one hears the pounding of their mauls, with which they bruise the corn sta]ks. In the .evening a lad brought me some "melones" and "sandias," musk melons and water melons, but they were so unripe that none of us could eat them. The New· Mexicans have a habit of pulling their fruit before it is ripe. September 25.-The plants that occur are but a repetition of those found in the Raton; the mountains are clad with the pine, the cedar, and the "pinon;" the common thistle occurs in great abundance, and in the corn fields we find the cockle burr, "xanthium strumarium,'' the sage (salvia azurea,) the sand burr, and various species of the sunflower tribe. After we had marched six miles, we reached .a celebrated spring, "Ojo Ve.rnal." It lies at the foot of a very htgh bluff with a fiat top. The water was indeed delightful, but there was no good grass in the neighborhood. • We stopped here a little while to taste of. this delightful spring, and then proceeded seven miles further, to the village of "San Miguel. This town is embosomed by high rocky ridges, that rise up in succession, until lost in aerial mists of distance. In the centre of the tow-!1 the~e is a large church, whose front is flanked by square towers, each containing several bells, and crowned wi~h crosses. On the north side of the town flows the beautiful "Rio Pecos." As I passed the river I noticed the woJnen passing and repassing with immense ollas or jars for carrying water, tr,;,ese they balanced upon their heads, and this custom causes them to walk with great dignity. Many of the young women had their faces hidden under a thick coat of whitewash, and many had bedizened their faces with the juica of the poke berry. At one place there was a group of 1'vomen busy washing clothes. They were most of M1em clad in a single under garment, and waded in and out of the water without regarding the presence of an " Americana." The river is three feet in depth, and from 16 to 20 in width· there is a rude bridge constructed here for the convenience of foot passengers. As there were no pasture grounJs near the village, I was for ced to buy '' zacate" for my mules. September 26.-This morning we passed through the village of |
