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Show 38 Ex. Doc. No. 41. side of th.e road, which 1lescends through a 1lerp cafion, a1;d halte<l on the peaks of the clifTs. Their mot1onles: forms projected againsL the clear blue sky above, formed . tudics for an artist. In the caiion we were joined by the priest, a fat old white man. Vve were e carted ftrst to the padre's, of course; for here~ as every where, these men are the most intcllig nt, and the best to clo in the world, and when the good people wish to put their best foot foremo"t, the padre's wine. , b.ecl , an~l ·ou ·hes h.1vc to ,uffer.. The entrance to the portal was hn~d w1th the women of the v1llagc, al~ dressed alike, and ranged m treble files; they looked fat and tupul. We were ~bown into his reverence's parlor, tapestried with curtains StCimp (l with the liken<;sscs or all tbe Pr sidcnls of the Unite1l Sti.ltes up to this time. The cu ·hions were of spotless dama k, and the couch covrr <1 with a white Na\·ajoe blanket workc<l in richly colored flowers. The air was redolent ·with tllc perfume of grapes an<l melon·, and every crack: of door and win<lows gli tcning with the bright eyes and arm of the women of the capilla. The old priesl was busily talking in the corner, and little did be know the game of sighs and signs carried on between the young fellows and the fair inmates of his house. W c had our gayest array of young men out to-day, and the women seemed to me to drop their usual subclue(l look and timid wave of the eye-lash for good hearty twinkles an<l signs of unaffected and cordial welcome-signs sup p 1 y i ng the place of conversation, as neither party could speak the language of the other. This Lttlc e_ ·hang of the artillery of .cyes wa amq ing nough, but I was very glad to sec the padre move towards the table, and remove the pure white napkins from the grapes, melons, antl wine. We were as thirsty as heal and clu ~ t could make us, and we reli ·hed the wine highly, whatever its quality. The sponge eake \vas irreproachable, and would have done honor to our best northern bou ekeepers. Indeed, wherever we have been feasted, the sponge cake has been in profusion, and of the best kind. After the repast, the general went forward on the portal and deliv •red a speech to the assembled people of the town, which was first interpreted into Spanish, and then into Pueblo. It is impossible to arrive at the precise population of the town, but l should jndge it to be about six l:undrcd, an<l the quantity of ground untler tillage for their support about ftve hundred acres. The valley of the Del Norte is hl·rc quite narrow, cllld the .. oil sandy. The river it. elf was viewed by m ·,for the ftrst time, with a strange.intcrcst. The hardships, trials, and perseverance of the gallant Pd{e, and the aclventures of the pious :lnd brflve soldiers of the cross, R1vcra and La Ford, ramc forcibly to my mind; as I kneel.ecl down to dr~nk of il waters my thoughts wer of them. Leavmg anlo Dommgo, we struck the hicrhway in about four miles, ancl two. more brought us to the pretty village of San Felipp<>, overhung by a steep craggy precipice, upon the summit of which are the ruins of a l~oman {.;atholi · churrh, p·rcsenting in the landscape c::kctch tlle appearance of the pictures we ·ec 'or the castles on the Rhine. |