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Show CHAPTER IX. AMONG THE MOQUIS, JULY, 2- 4, 1776. Those who had come with me, and they were eight, parted company with me ( se dividieron) henceforth, and there only followed me an old man and a boy, with whom I made my entrada. In order to surmount the mesa whereon stands the pueblo there is quite a steep ascent and very narrow pathway. On the same ascent there was a sheepfold ( corral de ganado menor), of which there were kept here about three atajos. 1 The ewes are larger than those of Sonora, and the black ones have a finer color. Having ascended the slope I commenced my journey over the mesa, and passed through some sandy places ( medanos) until I reached a small spring of water which is in front of the pueblo. In the canadas at this place there are many peachtrees; and though the soil is sterile, since no grass grows, nor any other tree than the peaches they have planted, it is well cultivated, * An atajo is a mule- train, and Garces uses the word as if such a train represented a particular number of animals; but no doubt he simply means flock. 36t |