w 



40 Ex. Doc, No. 41. 



and, after waiting some hours, dinner ' was announced. It was a 

 queer jumble of refinement and barbarismj the first predominating 

 in every thing, except in the mode of serving, which was chiefly 

 performed by the master, his Mexican guests, and a few female 

 serfs. 



The plates, forks, and spoons were of solid New Mexican silver, 

 clumsily worked in the country. 'The middle of the table was 

 strewed with the finest white bread, cut' in pieces, and within the 

 reach of every cover. At. close intervals were glass decanters, of 

 Pittsburg manufecture, filled with wine made on the plantation. 

 The dishes were served separately. The first was soup maigre; 

 then followed Yoast chicken, stuffed with onions; then rautfon, 

 boiled with onions; then followed various other dishes, all dressed 

 with the everlasting onion; and the whole terminated by chile, the 

 glory of New. Mexico, and then frigolc* ' 



- Chile the Mexicans consider the chef-d'ceuvre of the cuisine, and 

 seem really to revel in it: but the first mouthful'brought the tears 

 trickling down my cheeks, very much to the tmusement of the 

 spectators with their leather-lined throats. It was red pepper, 

 stuffed with minced meaf. 



From BernalUlo the valley opens, but narrows again at Zandia, 

 an Indian town on a sand-bank at the base of a hi^rh mountain of 

 the same name, said to contain the precious metals. 



They were treading wheat here, which is done by makino- a cir- 

 cular corral on a_ level ground of clay; upon this floor they "scatter 

 the wheat, turn in a dozen or more mules, and one or two Indians, 

 who, with whoops, yells, and blows, keep the affrighted brutes 

 constantly m motion. To separate the wheat from the chaff, both 

 Indians and Mexicans use a simple hand-barrow, with a bottom' of 

 raw buH's hide perforated with holes.' I should suppose it must 

 take an hour to vrinnow a bushel. 



After dining sumptuously at Sandival's, we went to our camp in 

 the Allema.la. Here the valley is wide and well cultivated. The 

 people of the surrounding country flocked in with grapes, melon*;, 

 and eggs Svrarms of wild geese and sand cranes passed over 

 camp. Ihey frequent the river and are undisturbed, save when 

 some American levels his rifle. 



By observation, the latitude of this camp is 35^ 11' 50" and the 

 longitude 1.06° 45' 00" west of Greenwich. ' 



September 6.— We eiicaraped last night on very indifferent prass. 

 Breakfasted with Don Jose Charvis, at Perdilla. When sittiner, 

 our chins just reached the table. There were five or six course! 

 ending with coffee. Before breakfast, we were summoned to mass 

 m Don Jose s private chapel, where Jhe eccentric person we met at 

 yesterday's dinner officiated. Priest, fop, courtier, and poet were 

 curiously combined in one person Proud of his pure white hand, 

 he flourished it incessantly, sometimes running his fingers through 

 his hair, in imitation of some pretty coquette, and ever and anon 



irr/nrLT 'f /^' '^'"^' looking-glasses with which the church 

 was decorated. After mass, to our surprise, he delivered an elo- 



