Ex. Doc. No. 41. 499 



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new fallen snow, and made an unpleasant glare, such as completely 

 dazzled our eyes. We got some golden-winced woodpeckers and 

 butcher birds, ^'lanins borealis," besides killing two large swans, 



cygnus Americanus," that, proved to be very fat. We encamped 

 at "Bosque de Apache," far to the south pf the last inhabited 

 town that we shall see north of the Jornada del Muerto 



J^ovemher 15.— Before the sun had risen, we were travellintr 

 on our journey, and soon reached the celebrated valley of Valverde 

 We now came in sight of the camp of traders. , We found as- 

 sembled here many gentlemen whom we had formerly met, and our' 

 happy feelings at greeting them in this wild country were heartilv 



e a mes- 



reciprocated, W _ 



During the day a man entered camp, purporting to b. ^ ^^^. 

 senger from Captain Cook, and stating that Captain Cook, finding 

 his men and animals failing, a^d his provisions giving out, had 

 changed his destination, and would now make a descent" upon '«E1 

 Paso." We were glad to hear this, as it was- the people at that 

 place who had made several demonstrations of attackincr us here 

 But there was something about the man that excited "suspicion'* 

 and the traders refused to furnish him with the mules which he 

 said were necessary to enable him to carry on Captain Cook's let- 

 ters asking for reinforcements. This man showed sealed letters 

 from Captain C. directed to Captain Burgwin, but, notwithstand- 

 ing, his whole story was an unprincipled fabrication, as we after- 

 "wards learned. 



The traders will suffei^great losses on account of our difficulties. 

 Every pound of freight brought to Chihuahua costs 18 cents- if 

 stopped at Santa Fe, 9 cents; and all here say that if the duties of 

 fl,000 a wagon load have to be paid they will lose everything. 



^"ovemher 16.— We were all scant of provisions. The traders 

 have been at this place for the last forty days, and in that time 

 have consumed their provisions, for they made no arrangements for 

 such a prolonged stay. Common sugar and coffee cannot be had 

 for less than 50 cents the pound, and beeves sell for $20 the head.. 

 To employ our time, we' went out gunning and killed a loon, 

 "colyrabus glacialis;" several ducks, 'anas mergansei." On our 

 return, we saw a fine bald-headed eagle that was sitting on a bar 

 in the middle of the Rio del Norte. We hailed it as an emblem of 

 our victorious banner, which bears this bold bird on its folds. 



J^ovemher'\l . — This morning I started for Socorro to procure 

 corn for our mules. The "grama" is not sufficiently noarishing' 

 ^or animals that have been laboring hard. We had rumors to-day 

 that the American traders in Chihuahua were allowed perfect lib- 

 erty, except Mr. McGoffin and Sefior Gonzales; that goods are 

 bringing 37| cents per vara, which is one-third more than many 

 persons here ae ready to sell for. 



'November 18.— During the morning, we walked over the ruins of 

 Valverde. They were it^ habited in 1820. and ]S25, but constant 

 •depredations of'the Apaches and Narajoes forced the people to 

 «^esert their village. Nothing now remains but the ruins of some 

 adobe walls, over which stillness reigns. I took a sketch of the 



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