3 [ 26 ] 
PREFACE, 
Instead of the many apologies generally offered to ths : 
author who has the hardihood to present them - 
Lae 
tong spring of 1846, I left St. bites Missouri, with 
a tour through Northern Mexico and Upper Cali oF 
turning in the fall of the next year. ‘The principal object ¢ 
was scientific. I desired to examine the geography, natu stor ry, 
statistics of that country, by taking directions on the road with the compass, 
and by determining the pr incipal points by astronomical observations. 
made a rich collection of quite new and undescribed plants. I examined 
‘ the character of the rocks, to gain insight into the geological formation 
the whole country. I visited as many mines as possible, and < 
some of the ores. I made barometrical observations, to atic the eli 
-_ above the sea. I ce meteorological tables, to draw general results 
ook 
tion of an historical need but in the plain nae form of a journal, 
through oes the inciderts and adventures of the trip are but occasionally 
interwove 
How fat I have succeeded in it, the reader must judge for himself at the 
end of the work; though I am myself free to confess, that, for various 
reasons, the resi ait of my expedition has by far not satisfied the expecta- 
tions I entertained of it at the beginnin 
1aving © outfitted freaky for the ‘trip by private means, and being 
already on the road, the war between the United States and Mexico broke, 
out, very untimely for my purposes, ; s, and deranged my plans considerably. 
By ‘the a arbitrary government of the State of Chihuahua, as the reader will 
perceive in the course of my narrative, I was detained for six months in a 
very passive situation; and after the arrival of the American — in Chi- 
huahua, seeing the impracticability of continuing my journey as far as 
intended, I accepted a situation in sean edical department of = e army, 
and returned with it, by way of Monterey, to the States. My connexion 
with the army enabled me to become cain with the Be le oven 
of that campaign; but not having been an eye-witness to all of them, I 
ment. 
