SO 
TRIP TO THE SOUTH. 85 
tives, are constantly embarking. It is custom- 
ary for most of those who maintain mercan- 
tile establishments in Chihuahua, to procure 
assortments of Mexican fabrics from the man- 
ufactories of Leon, Aguascalientes, and other 
places of the same character in the more 
southern districts of the republic. At certain 
seasons of the year, there are held regular 
Jerias, at which the people assemble in great 
numbers, as well of sellers as of purchasers. 
There are some eight or ten of these annual 
fairs held in the republic, each of which 
usually lasts a week or more. It was about 
as much, however, from a desire to behold the 
sunny districts of the South, as for commer- 
cial purposes, that I undertook this expedi- 
tion in 1835; and as my engagements have 
not permitted me to revisit this section since, 
the few notes of interest I was then able to 
collect, seem to come more appropriately in 
this part of my work than in any other place 
that I could readily select. 
I set out from Chihuahua on the 26th of 
February, 1835. My party consisted of four 
men (including myself) and two empty wa- 
gons—not a very formidable escort to protect 
our persons as well as specie and bullion (the 
only transmissible currency of the country) 
against the bands of robbers which at all times 
infest that portion of our route that lay south 
of Durango. From Chihuahua to that city 
the road was rendered still more perilous by 
the constant hostilities of the Indians. On 
the 7th of March, amet, we arrived, with- 
VeL. U. 
