* 
39° °on es key 
Petween San Felippe and the Angosturas, six miles below, the 
valley, of the river is very narrow, affording no interval for agri- 
culture. On the west side, the banks are steep walls, crowned by 
seams of basalt forming the table lands. The east is composed of 
rolling sand hills, rising gradually to the base of the mountains, 
and covered with large round pebbles. I must except from this 
the poverty-stricken little town of Algodones, which has some 
ground round it in cultivation. 7 
The observations for the determination of this camp, about one 
mile below the town of San Felippe, were made on my return, 
_ (September 10th,) and will be found under that date in Appendix 
No. 5. 
The height indicated by the barometer of this, the first 
camp on the Rio del Norte, is 5,000 feet above the level of the 
very sandy, and better adapted to Indian corn than wheat. Of this 
last we saw but few stubbles, the ground being chiefly planted with 
corn. The vegetation is much the same as that described after 
leaving Santa Fé, with the addition of quite a number of com- 
posite; among which was a species of linosyris, artemesia filifolia, 
aster, helicladus, &c. ! Age 
News now began to arrive whith left but little doubt that the 
reports which caused our movement down the river were exagger- 
ated, if not wholly without foundation. People Nad passed down 
the river, as was reported, but in no great numbers. A messenger 
came in from the alcalde of Tomé with an official note, stating 
territory. We were here invited to the house of a wealthy man, 
to take some refreshment. 
saints, crosses’ innumerable,.and Yankee mirrors without number, 
These last are suspended Mrely out of reach; and if one wishes 
to shave or adjust his toilet, he must do so without the aid of a — 
mirror, be there cver so many in the chamber. 
We passed on to the house of our host’s wealthy son, 
where we _ 
were invited to dine. Here we found another refreshment table; 
