4^6 Ex. Doc. No. 41. ' 



extremity rests on an upright, and the other is upheld by an in- 

 clined stick that rests on the upper burr, so that the motion of the 

 burr gives a jostling motion to the trough and hopperj thus the 

 grain falls into the opening in the centve of the upper burr, and 

 passes out between the two burrs. 



In the evening, the alcalde came and invited us to a fandango. 



Whilst sketching some of the buildings in the towns, a large 

 concourse of the inhabitants collected amund me, eager to see 

 what I was doing. I took the opportunity to impress them^ with 

 the idea of the numerous bodies of Americans who were in the 

 country. I told them that large bodies of soldiers were to be sta- 

 tioned at Albuquerque, this winter; that there w^ere troops at Co- 

 Yero, that there we 



Santa Fe. And as 



re troops in the Navajoe country, 

 to the Mexicans havino; said l[ 



and troops at 

 hat they were 

 coming from Chihuahua, by this route, to Sanla Fe, that they lied; - 

 the people of Chihuahua talked of what they would do, w^hile the ^ 

 Americans have already gone down the river to meet them, if they 

 dare come. These things they knew to be true, for they all are 

 well acquainted with the motives and disposition of our forces. 

 From that moment there was a great change in the conduct of the 



people. 



In the evening I w^ent to the fandango, and met with a merry 

 and happy-hearted set. They all danced, and scarce a moment 

 during the evening but what the floor was occupied with couples 



whirling in the graceful waltz. They danced the' '' cumbe," they 

 waltzed, and dr.ncfed again. The alcalde and his wife sat at the 

 head of the room; she had a black bottle full of '^ aguardiente/* 

 this she dealt to the most honored; and a peasant went round the 

 room selling apples. The music was produced by guitars, violins, 

 and voices. Ttie singers composed their songs impromptu; and 

 often the listeners wauld burst forth into lengthened peals of laugh- 

 ter, at some happy stroke of the witty improvisator. 



While hercj 1 made the acquaintance of *^ El St-nor D^^n Pedra 

 Baca,'' one who has charge of the silver mines. He told me that 

 there is, in the mountains, mines of silver, copper, iron, and 

 *^azoguc;*' by this last word, I understood him to mean quicksil- 

 Ter; but m strict mining language, " azogue'^ is used to mean sil- 

 ver ore adapted for amalgamation; for the ores that I brought ta 

 the United States, and which he called '' azogue," do not contain. 

 any mercury. 



Upon my expressing a desire to obtain some of the ores, he said 

 that he would send at once; it was now near 10 o'clock at night, 

 and 1 begged him not to think of putting himself to so much trou- 

 ble; but he insisted on sending; and told me that if I would wait 

 until 12 o'clock the next day, that his men would return with 

 plt-nty of specimens of the ore. As I still insisted on his not go- 

 ing to such great inconvenience, he said that he was obliged to 

 Send out, and whether I waited or not he should do so. I tKere- 

 fore consented to recTiain, 



Km^emhtr 4. — As I should be detained here* until midday. T sent 

 i^-ward the wagon and party, and went with El Stnor Don PedrO| 

 to Lis botise, there to await the arrival t>£ the messenger with the 



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