458 , Ex. Doc. No. 41. ^ 



1 



though heansj pumpkmsj melons, and red pepper, are raised tc^ 

 some extent. The hills are covered with very good grass, which 

 furnishes subsistence to herds of cattle and horses, as well as to 

 fine flocks of sheep and goats. In them lie the principal wealth 

 of the inhabitants. 



Taos is, by nature, almost isolated from the remainder of N 



Mexico'. Oil the east rise' the high peaks of the main Rocky moun- 

 tain chain, whilst a spur of the same range puts out on the south 

 quite to the banks of the Rio del Norte. On the north and west 

 are the high bluffs which mark the beginning of the extensive 

 " llanos," or table lands. A wagon road ol some difficulty has been, 

 opened through the southern spur, which leads to Santa Fe, though 

 the communication is usually kept -up by the shorter mule-road, 

 over the highest point of the spur. 



Setting out from San Fernandez at 10 ,o'clock, we travelled fif- 

 teen miles in a southwesterly direction, nearly parallel with the 

 course of '« El Rio de Taos," and over an undulating country, the 

 gravelly rolls of which were everywhere variegated with clumps 

 of cedar and scattering pinons. But, from this point to Santa Fe, 

 there is no grass. Crossing a small stream of clear water that 

 flows from a fine spring, we entered a narrow defile and commenced 

 the ascent of the mountain. For 2^ miles the bridle-path is ex-. 

 tremeJy tortuous and rugged, and rendered difficult by numerous^ 

 tragments of rock. The mountain rises 2,000 or 2,500 feet above 

 the river at its base, and is composed of a hard slaty rock, which 

 breaks down into angular fragments, with sharp cutting" edges. 

 1 he dip of the slaty formations is to the southwest, and nearly ver- 

 tical. When the broken fragments are removed, the rock presents 

 numerous angular points, which stand out like spikes, and make the: 

 ravelling very difficult for animals. The road leads along the sum- 

 "V'*.u°'x>''''^f distance, and from it we had a fine view of the canon- 

 of the Rio del Norte, and the extensive table land through which 

 It passes. Fur as the eye could reach, the brown and burnt table 

 Jand stretched northward and westward, unbroken save by the 

 deep channels worn by the running waters. - 



Turning southward, the bridle-path again descends for two or 

 three miles, leading through a succession of mountain gUns, until 

 It emerges into the beautiful valley of El Rio de San Luisio This 



wa^p'r f?"" ^^ p'-e water that flows from the mountains, affording 

 water to irrigate a few fields. ^ 



vi/la" p' of f" k'T ^-""'V ^^ ^^" ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^' crossing, but the 

 3O0T4OO of^h^ '' about a mile below. There we found some 

 600 or 400 of the meanest kind of rancheros, who seem to derive a 



she^n Tlfr:f ""T^ 'f^'^^"' ^^"^^ ''^- flocks of goats and 

 sheep There being but little pasturage, they are unable to raisa 



To'lliTsllTl''^ 'f '°""' *''^^^ '^^'^ goalTallage'^er; w n 

 Iht at' le {.n f r?" '^??f '^' ^°^^^- We stopped L the 



fofnd eoa s mni''/ i urTu^'/^''.' '"^' ^^''' ^ ^^^^ «f 29 miles, 

 lounu goats milk and "tortillas" palatable 



laviU'inl '^LH""'' ^' "^''^^^S molasse's, they were all busy ia 

 iajmg in a winter^s supply. ' - v j 



