94 Audubon s Western Journal 



but all indolent, keeping little stores and ware- 

 houses and making immense profits. It is cele- 

 brated for wines and brandy, made principally by 

 foreigners. 



May joth. At three o'clock this morning I 

 was taken with sharp pains, nausea and other 

 symptoms of cholera, and for the first time was 

 obliged to ride in the ambulance, but towards 

 evening was able to be up again, though very much 

 debilitated. 



June 2d. We left Parras at five this morning, 

 and at dusk reached El Paso [El Pozo], and 

 camped on a gravelly hill. For miles a barren 

 desert lined both sides of our road, until we came 

 to a swamp tract, with extraordinary luxuriance of 

 rank weeds, no grass, and passing this entered a 

 dismal thicket of chaparral. 



June ^d, Sunday. We left El Paso at eight this 

 morning, and rode until ten, when we reached a 

 deserted rancho, and with some trouble encamped 

 near a river bed with waterholes along it. A 

 beautiful lagoon with water holes a hundred yards 

 long enabled us all to take refreshing baths, and 

 I watched with pleasure the languid flight of the 

 great blue heron, changing his position as he was 

 approached. Two Mexicans, hunting cattle, came 

 to us here, and Lieut. Browning bought a wild 

 mule, for which he gave a few dollars and a broken 

 down mule. 



