88 Audubon's Western Journal 



we could not see them robbed, stones and hatchets 

 were abundant, and some pistols went off, which 

 the boys declared did so accidentally. We could 

 not find the owners, so I went to [the] Alcalde to 

 pay for them, taking an Italian boy as interpreter. 

 The boy instead of saying what I told him, which 

 was simply to ask the value and pay it, added on 

 his own account, that if his Honor was not satisfied 

 with what we gave, we would come in and take 

 the town. Naturally the Alcalde resented this, 

 and I found my little vagabond had been telling 

 his own story, not mine. Upon matters being 

 explained by a more trustworthy source, the 

 Alcalde was perfectly content, and bowed me out 

 with much courtesy. 



The adroitness of the Mexicans in thieving 

 equals that of the rascals at Naples. In two 

 instances pistols have been taken from the holsters 

 whilst the owners held the bridles of their horses. 

 All this has tended to excite revenge, and without 

 good discipline outbreaks of temper might have 

 occurred, which would undoubtedly have brought 

 us into trouble, as happened with several other 

 companies on the road to Mazatlan. 



Saltillo, May 20th. Here we are, thank God, 

 fairly on our way, and at present in good health 

 and spirits. We travel about twenty-five miles a 

 day, but have great difliculty in keeping our 

 horses and mules in good order, as there is no grass 



