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Show 143 in vain to break up this organization, but without success, as their numbers are con-stantly increasing. At Taos, where we first noticed them, one of their number had died, and the branch to which he had belonged sat up with the body all night, singing and howling. They have meeting- houses of their own in which the profane are not permitted to enter, and these houses are, as a rule, far superior to their regular churches. It is a custom with them while traveling to make heaps of stones, with a cross on top, alongside the road at different points, and each member as he passes adds one to the pile. This is a peculiar feature to be seen upon all the roads of New Mexico, the natural inference being that these heaps marked the resting- places of the dead who had perished while traveling over the roads. The following notes, furnished by an old resident of New Mexico, relative to the organization, & c, of the order, are given below : " Seems to be composed of lodges, each of which is independent of the other; no central power or authority, or if they do have, not extending above a limited section of country. A few of the towns have a lodge- room, or house, isolated, for the purpose of greater secrecy. The ceremony of bearing the cross and whipping in public takes place only during " Semana Santa," or holy week. " Punishment is of two kinds, self- imposed and that imposed by the lodge, for real or imaginary sins; immunity from punishment can be purchased. " Flourishes in the hill regions when the cburoh- ser vices are infrequent. " Has not been countenanced by the recent representatives of the church, though in former years was not only countenanced but encouraged, and the churches were made the theater of the most severe whippings. " Not unusual for one of the devotees to prostrate himself at the steps of the church so that all who enter must step on bis body. " In the mountain country, when the last week in Lent comes early in the year, the road to Calvary- a wide cross placed in the field, from a half to a mile from their lodge- is through deep snow, yet the journey is performed naked, their faces painted or daubed to prevent recognition. " That the order is spreading under the opposition of the church is partly proven by the new Mounts of Calvary that have beeu erected during the past five years. " These devotees frequently perish from their self- inflicted wounds, and it is imagined that a sure salvation is thus effected. The burials of any of their order always take place at night. There is hardly a reasonable doubt but that the ceremonies of the penitents have been transmitted from generation to generation from the flagellants of ancient times, and have been introduced from Old Mexico, at the time when they were encouraged by the priests." Concluding the work at Taos, we left August 9 for L'Em bud a, taking, instead of the old road over the United States mountains, the new one constructed iu 1873 by Lieutenants Ruffner and Morrison, through the cafiou of the Rio Grande, which not only shortens the distance very materially, but is better fitted for wagon- travel, the ascents aud descents being less steep. The cation road proper commences at a small settlement called Senegia and ends within two or three miles of L'Euibuda, but will, it is expected, in time be completed to La Joy a. On the road few birds were seen, with the exception of ravens and jays, but in the rocks skirting the road many small mammals and lizards were noticed, and some few snakes were secured. At L'Euibuda we tarried but a single night, pushing on the next day for Los Leucenros or Plaza del Alcalde. The road lay through the Cafion de Cito, over a mesa to the eastward of our place of destination. We found this road for a short distance almost impracticable for our wagon, and were obliged to unload our supplies and pack them over a very steep ascent. This road, which is used to a considerable extent in the dry season, is in winter and spring the bed of a raging torrent, and to avoid it Lieutenant Ruffner proposes to finish his Rio Grande road to La Joya, as already mentioned. Near this latter place commences the most fertile part of the Rio Grande bottom, much of which showed evidences of thrifty cultivation ; in fact, from this point to San Ildefonso, the greater portion of the laud is susceptible of cultivation, water alone being needed. Plaza del Alcalde was next reached, from whence a visit to the neighboring Indian pueblo of San Juan was made. Tbis town differs materially from the Taos town, being built around a hollow square, the buildings rising two stories in height, instead of five or seven. In the viciuity, the Indians own most of the fertile lands near the river, and raise excellent corn and wheat, and, besides, a great quantity of fruit; peaches, apples, and watermelons predominating. At this season of the year they abandon their villages and erect temporary structures in their fields, in which they live, to watch over their crops and protect them from unscrupulous trespassers. From the alcalde of the previous year an interesting vocabulary was obtained. It may be interesting in this connection to mention the Indian method here witnessed of thrashing ont grain. A suitable piece of firm ground is selected, perhaps 20 feet in diameter, ami is carefully cleared of stones and gravel, water is then poured on it from time to time, |