and, after waiting some hours, dinner was announced. It wasa 
queer jumble of refinement and barbarism; the first predominating 
‘in every thing, except in the mode of serving, which was chiefly — 
performed by the master, his Mexican guests, and.a few female 
serfs. : 
The plates, forks, and spoons were of solid New Mexican silver, 
clumsily worked in the country. The middle of the table was 
strewed with the finest white bread; cut in pieces, and within the 
reach of every cover. At ciose intervals were glass decanters, of 
- Pittsburg manufacture, filled with wine made on the plantation. 
_ The dishes were served separately. The first was soup maigre; 
then followed roast chicken, stuffed with onions; then mutton, 
boiled with onions; then followed various other dishes, all dressed 
~. with the everlasting onion; and the whole terminated by chilé, the 
glory of New Mexico, and then frigolé. 
_. Chilé the Mexicans consider the chef-d’ceuvre of the cuisine, and 
seem really to revel in it; but the first mouthful brought the tears 
_, trickling down ‘my cheeks, very much to the amusement of the 
spectators with their leather-lined throats. It was red -pepper, 
stuffed with minced meat. 
From Bernallilo the valley.opens, but narrows again at Zandia, 
raed 
an Indian town ona sand-bank at the base of a high mountain of | 
_ the same name, said to contain the precious metals. 
They were treading wheat here, which is done ‘by making a cir- 
' eular corral on a level ground of clay; upon this floor they scatter - 
the wheat, turn in a dozen or more mules, and one or two Indians, 
who, with whoops, yells, and blows, keep the affrighted brutes 
constantly in motion. To separate the wheat from the chaff, both 
ndians and Mexicans use a simple hand-barrow, with a bottom of 
raw bull’s hide perforated with holes.“ I should suppose it must 
take an hour to winnow a bush 
el. 3 
. . . . : Ld fr 
After dining sumptuously at Sandival’s, we went to our camp in 
_ the Allemada. Here the valley is wide and well cultivated. The 
_ people of the surrounding country flocked in ‘with grapes, melons, 
_andeggs. Swarms of wild geese afd sand cranes passed over 
camp. They frequent the river and are undisturbed, save when 
- some American levels his rifle. 
Breakfasted with Don José Charvis, at Perdilla. When sitting, 
his hair, in imitation of some pretty coquette, and ever and anon 
glancing in one of the many looking-glasses with which the church 
was decorated. After mass, to our surprise, he delivered an elo- 
observation, the latitude of this camp is 35° 11’ 50”, and the | 
