90 . NEW TEACKS IN NOETn AMERICA. 



had been directed to stop, aud by tlie time tbe train bad come 

 up, a fine young cow lay ready for the butcbcr's knife. "We 

 all supped well that niglit, for tbe beef was fat and well- 

 flavoured, wbile our beans and bacon bad long ceased to be 

 a novelty. 



Next morning I started, witli a sergeant and two men, for 



Trinidad, tbe first and only Mexican toA^Ti to be found north 



of tbe Eaton Mountains. It is situated close 



under tbe mountains, in the upper valley of 



tbe Purgatoire, and at the foot of Eaton Pass, through 



which the Santa Fe road rims. There is a post-office here ; 



and it was for the purpose of inq[niring for letters and 



posting those of the party that I made this trip. 



A more complete snecimen of an Amcrico-Mexican town 



. 



than Trinidad could not be found. It consists of a mam 

 ^treetj lined on either side by adobe houses of one story, with 

 flat roofs and few rooms. Many of those were " stores '^ 

 belonging to American trader.s^ and well stocked with goods ; 

 two of them were billiard-saloons^ and two were boarding- 

 houses — all American innovations. There was no public- 

 house proper, but strong drinks were sold at every one of 

 these establishments, and, so far as I could make out, at 

 every house in the town. '^ Liquoring uj) '' seems to be the 

 sole amusement of the inliabitants. It commences before 

 breakfast, goes on all day, and begins again with renewed 

 vigour at sunset. 



All the upper valley — viz., that above the canon— is j 

 settled by Mexicans ; and there is scarcely a mile along the 

 stream in which you do not find a ranche or two. Each 

 farmer irrigates as much land as he is able to look after, and 

 finds a ready market for the produce here. 



There are no police, no magistrates, no military ; so the 



