Louisiana and Aaron Burr 375 



knew that he was in Spanish territory. When the 

 Spanish commander at Santa Fe learned of their 

 presence he promptly sent out a detachment of 

 troops to bring- them in, though showing great cour- 

 tesy and elaborately pretending to believe that Pike 

 had merely lost his way. 



From Santa Fe Pike was sent home by a round- 

 about route through Chihuahua, and through Texas, 

 where he noted the vast droves of wild horses, and 

 the herds of peccaries. He was much impressed 

 by the strange mixture of the new world savagery 

 and old world feudalism in the provinces through 

 which he passed. A nobility and a priesthood 

 which survived unchanged from the middle ages 

 held sway over serfs and made war upon savages. 

 The Apache and Comanche raided on the outlying 

 settlements; the mixed bloods, and the "tame" In- 

 dians on the great ranches and in the hamlets were 

 in a state of peonage ; in the little walled towns the 

 Spanish commanders lived in half civilized, half 

 barbaric luxury, and shared with the priests abso- 

 lute rule over the people roundabout. The American 

 lieutenant, used to the simplicity of his own service, 

 was struck by the extravagance and luxury of the 

 Spanish officers, who always traveled with sumpter 

 mules laden with delicacies; and he was no less 

 struck with the laxity of discipline in all ranks. The 

 Spanish cavalry were armed with lances and shields ; 

 the militia carried not only old fashioned carbines 

 but lassos and bows and arrows. There was small 

 wonder that the Spanish authorities, civil, military, 



