96 NEW TRACKS IN NOHTH AMEEICA. 



a tall wiry Mexican, -wlioso seventy summers had certainly n 

 lessened Ms powers of obseryation or Ms " bump " of localit 

 Not. a trail or a spring was unknown to bini ; and no matt 

 liow confusing tbe country was, lie was always riglit in 

 directions. TLe thouglitful coiu'tesy tlius extended to us 

 the people of Santa Fe, and the kindness and aifability 

 their representative, was fully appreciated by all. For myse 

 I can only add, that I wish one met more frequently such j 

 thorough gentleman, in every respect, as Colonel 33ui'gemai? 

 On August the 4th we broke camp at the head of the caiiod' 

 and marched to the foot of Trinchera Pass, a distance of about 



thii'teen miles. Diu-ing the march, Genei'al 

 ""^"^^ • Wright, Dr. Le Conte, Colonel Burgeman, witl 

 Ms guide, Francisco, and myself, accompanied by Cap tan. 

 Cane, who commanded our escort, and half-a-dozen cavahy 

 went ahead to reconnoitre the country. We had not advancec 

 more than tM-ee miles in fi'ont of the train before we saw 

 the distance two or three parties of men moving towards 

 fi'om the east. At first we took them for Mexicans, but 

 closer examination concluded that they must be a party 

 Ute Indians, returning from a foraging expedition to thoi 

 homes in the mountains. A little farther on we ascended a Ml 

 covered with cedar and pinon trees, from which we expects 

 to get an extended view of the country. We here ran straig. 

 into an Indian rancheria. The red-skins had just made off, an^ 

 were galloping away as fast as their ponies could caiTy the 

 leaving the ground strewn with all the litter of a camp. Th 

 warriors stopped about a mile from us, and being joined b 

 those coming up, watched us as closely as we did them ; foj 

 we were somewhat puzzled to teU why, if they were Ute 

 with whom the settlers are at peace, they should make s 

 precipitate and suspicious a flight. From the Mgh groun^ 



