<» 



520 ' Ex. Doc. No. 41 



cre^t of the decIivHy, when instantly the wasfon rusher] down, in 

 spite of bll our precautions, and with 8urh velocity, thai the lead- 

 ing mules were overtaken ; and ua^on, and men, and mules, all were 

 thrown together in one confus^^d heap. Fortunately no one was 

 hurl, nor anything broken. Some of the men now sprang to worlc^ 

 and unhitched the mules, when ihey regained their feet; afler wait- 

 ing until they had got over the fright, we again geared up and as- 

 cended \he opposite biink. 



About noon we reached the ^^ Rio Vermejo;'' here the ire bore 

 up cur wJigon, and we descended to the river w^ithout difficulty. 

 But the bank to be asctnded stalled us; however, after a consid-^ 

 erable delay we got over this difficulty, and imrjiediat^ely encamped. 

 The constant labor and severe exposure -my men had undergone^ 

 rendered some episode netessaiy in order to break the continuity 

 of pains and trials; 1 therefore took some of the Indian goods with 

 which I was provided, and parcelled them out into prizes, to be 

 shot for with rifles. We spent the whole afternoon in shooting; and 

 for a while we setmed to forget the past 'and to cease thinking of 

 the future. 



January 9. — We arose v.ery early, ancl before the clock hatl struck 

 five we bad commenced cur iLarch. The snow upon the ground 

 made more light than otherwise thtre would have beenj as it was, 

 there was difficulty in seeing the road. ^ 



During the greater part ot the d?y it threatened to storm, and 

 the atmosphere was so filled with minute particles of snow that we 

 could scarcely see further than two or three miles around. 



As we approached El Rio Canadiano, we found that there had 

 been but little snow there. 



During our progress, we were continually starting herds of ante- 

 lope from secluded valleys, where they had sought shelter from' 

 tne inclemencies of the season. The day v -s extremely cold, and 

 *^e snow-mist completely chilled us. It was only by continued 

 friction ol our hands that w^e succeeded in- retaining their flexi- 

 bility. Several times my moccasins froze to my stirrups. We 

 r pressed rapidly onward, and before noon reached the "Canadian," 

 and found an excellent camping ground, where we had plenty of 

 -dry t.mbcr and enough grass to appease the hunger of our half 

 famished mules. Our day's march was twenty miles, which was a 

 great march, for during the early portion of the day we had inuch 



suow upon the road. 



January 10.— We now have but little snow upon the ground 

 around us. The sun shines as if his power was trammelbd by the 

 benumbing influence of the cold. Althoua there was but little 

 wind, yet we were glad to get sheltered from that little by our 

 entrance in the pass of the Raton. Here stupendous escarpments 



slooSV^er" °'' '" ' °^ '''' ^"''^ they attain the height of 



The first hill we met gave us considerable trouble- we were 

 obliged to apply all the force w>e could muster to the leading 



rem"un'nn T T''\^''' -'^'^ "^^"- ^his method of carrjinf 



them up one at a time detained ns a great while. At one place, 



\ 



th 



