ARRIVAL AT SANTA FE. ~ 61 
The next day, I hired a Mexican to carry 
some flour back to meet the wagons ; for our 
party was by this time running short of pro- 
visions. In fact, we should long before have 
been in danger of starvation, had it not been 
for our oxen; for we had not seen a buffalo 
since the day we first met with the Coman- 
ches. Some of our cattle being in good 
plight, and able, as we were, to spare a few 
from our teams, we made beef of them when 
urged by necessity: an extra advantage in ox- 
teams on these perilous expeditions. 
On the 25th of June I arrived safely at 
Santa Fé,—but again rode back to meet the 
wagons, which did not reach the capital till 
the 4th of July. We did not encounter a 
very favorable reception from ‘his majesty,’ 
Gov. Armijo. He had just established his 
arbitrary impost of $500 per wagon, which 
bore rather heavily upon us; for we had an 
overstock of coarse articles which we had 
merely brought along for the purpose of in- 
creasing the strength of our company, by add- 
ing to the number of our wagons. 
2 these little troubles in a_ business 
the country over Which we had travelled, we 
had been exceedingly successful. Instances 
are certainly rare of heavily-laden wagons’ 
having been conducted, without a guide, 
? an unexplored desert; and yet we 
3 7 : 
VOL. IL 
