62 SAN JOSE VALLEY.—EXPEDITION TO FORT DEFIANCE. 
the slightest cause, seemed to be in a high state of excitement. Menacing words were ban- 
died, knives flourished, and pistols drawn. The whole town was in an uproar, and no one 
seemed to know what it was about. At length it was ascertained that one of our herders, 
named Torrivio, had been recognised as a peon, and a man wished to seize and imprison him 
till he could be restored to his original state of servitude. The Mexican had tasted freedom, 
and was manfully defending it. The claim was only fifteen or twenty dollars; so the money 
was advanced, and order immediately restored. Had it not been paid, this little debt might 
have kept the poor fellow bound to his master for life.* In New Mexico the system of peonage 
has been abolished in law, but not in practice. Written statutes are a sealed book to the labor- 
ing classes, and nearly a dead letter to the alcaldes. 
The night has been favorable for making astronomical observations. 
November 15—Camp 65.—Preparing to start this morning, there was great delay, which, 
upon inquiry, was found to be due to a lack of herders and packers. It appeared that this was 
the home of the greater part of them, and that their female friends were begging them to stay. 
It seemed doubtful for awhile which would prevail—duty or love; but at length, a month’s 
pay having been advanced for them to leave behind, their families became somewhat reconciled, 
and allowed them to depart. 
The route passed within six or eight miles of Mount Taylor. This mountain is of volcanic 
origin, and rests upon sedimentary strata whose horizontality is still undisturbed. Four miles 
over a smooth road led us again to Rio San José, here a pretty brook rushing impetuously over 
a bed of lava. Having followed the edge of the valley eleven miles, we stopped at what is 
called by Americans ‘Hay Camp." It is a pleasant spot. The valley spreads out into a wide 
vega,t covered with an abundance of grama, which is occasionally cut to supply hay for the 
military posts. "The whole length of the valley followed to-day has been threaded by a sinuous 
stream of lava. It appears as if it had rolled down a viscous semi-fluid mass, had been arrested 
in its course, hardened, blackened, cracked, and in places broken, so as to allow the little brook 
to gush out from below and gurgle along by its side. The lava bed is frequently a hundred 
yards in width, the cross-section being a semi-ellipse, in the centre probably thirty feet high. 
November 16— Camp 66.—A short distance above Hay Camp the road divided—one branch, 
the Camino del Obispo, leading to Zuñi; the other being the new route by Ojo del Oso to Fort 
Defiance. "There was also a trail, between the two, ascending the river to Ojo del Gallo, and 
thence crossing through a gap in the mountains to Zuñi. The latter is noticed by Capt. Simp- . 
son in his report of Col. Washington's Navajo expedition. In order to examine the two other 
routes, our party separated; Mr. Campbell taking the northern branch, while the train and 
main survey followed the southern. Lieut. Jones also, accompanied by Leroux and a small 
party, set out for Fort Defiance. An additional escort being ordered from that post, we hope 
it may be prepared to join us at Zuñi, or at least upon the Colorado Chiquito. 
With the train, our course for some distance was west, till we had, not without difficulty, 
crossed the lava stream that has been mentioned. Having reached the base of the mountains, 
the road turned gradually towards the south and southwest, rising at the rate of about sixty 
feet per mile along the smooth slope which bounds the valley. Having travelled eighteen 
miles, we encamped, The average ascent for the march was fifty feet per mile. Our camp iS 
in a grassy, park-like spot, without water, but in the midst of a forest of spruce and pines. 
The trees are tall, straight, and, almost without exception, appear to be perfectly sound. For 
railroad ties they would afford good material, and in this climate might be durable without 
the expense of kyanization. 
Rather an amusing scene occurred when the men came into camp. The day having been ` 
warm, some of the teamsters became thirsty, and finding a keg of spirituous liquor in one of 
* Of all the Mexicans who accompanied us, no one was more efficient than Torrivio. He was killed by Indians while in the 
discharge of duty that had been assigned him. 
f An open plain or valley. 
