Ex. Doc. No. 41. 39 



Fetween San Felippe and the Angosturas, six miles "below, the 

 valley of the river is very narrow, atFording no interval for agri- 

 culture. On the west side, the banks are steep walls, crowned by 

 seams of basalt forming the table lands. The east is composed of 

 rolling sand hills, rising gradually to the base of the mountains, 

 and covered with large round pebbles. I must except from this 

 the poverty-stricken little town of Algodones, which has some 

 ground round it in cultivation. 



The observations for the determination of this camp, about one 

 mile below the town of San Felippe, were made on my return, 

 (September lOth,) and will be found under that date in Appendix 

 No. 5. The height indicated by the barometer ctf this, the first 

 camp, on the Rio del Norte, is 5,000 feet above the level of tlie 

 sea. / ^ 



. Septemler 4. — Below the" Angosturas, the valley of the river 

 opens into a plain, varying from two to six miles in width, gener- 

 ally sufficiently low and level to admit the water of the river fo 

 be carried over ito for the purposes of irrigation; but the soil is 

 very sandy, and better adapted to Indian corn than wheat. Of this 

 last we saw but few stubbles, the ground be'ing chiefly planted with 

 corn. The vegetation is much the same as that described after 

 leaving Santa Fe, with the addition of quite a number of com- 

 positor; among which was a species of Jinosyris, artemesia filifolia, 



aster, helicladus, &c. 



News now bejran to arrive which left but little doubt that the 

 reports which caused our movement down the river were exagger- 

 ated, if not wholly without foundation. People had passed down 

 the river, as was reported, but in no great numbers. A messenger 

 came in from the alcalde of Tome with an official note, stating 

 that Armijo had left wnth him one hundred mules, pressed into 

 service to meet us at the canon, and that Armijo had also notified him 

 that one hundred more would be left at the Passo del Norte. These 

 belonged to citizens of New Mexico, and had been taken from them 

 without their consent. It was his practice, in peace or in war, to 

 seize the person or property of any who fell under his displeasure. 



The town of Beraallilo is small, but one of the best built in the 

 territory. We were here iijvited to the house of a wealthy man, 

 to take some refreshment. We were led into an oblong room, fur- 

 nished like that of every Mexican in comfortable circumstances. 

 A banquette runs around the room, leaving only a space for the 

 couch. It is covered with cushions, carpets, and pillows; upon 

 which the visiter sits or reclines. The dirt floor is usually covered 

 a third or a half with common looking carpet. On the uncovered 

 part is the table, freighted wit^ grapes, sponge-cake, and the wine 

 of the country. The walls are hung with miserable pictures of the 

 saints, crosses innumerable, and Yankee mirrors without nu^mber. 

 These last are suspended entirely out of reach; and if one wishes 

 to^ shave or adjust his toilet, he must do so without the aid of a 

 mirror, be there ever so many in the chamber. 



We passed on to the house of our host's wealthy son, where we 

 were invited to dine. Here we found another refreshment table; 



■^r 



