RIO FLORIDO TO PARRAS. 465 
CHAPTER XLI. 
RIO FLORIDO TO PARRAS, 
A mule kidnapped—La Noria—Cerro Gordo—Enter the State of Durango 
—Another escort—Miserable condition of the Mexican soldiers—Recent 
battle here with the Comanches—La Zarca—Vast herds of cattle and 
horses—Scarcity of wood=-Droves of horses—San Pedro del Gallo— 
Rio Nasas—Fertile valley—Culture of cotton—Corn-fields without irri- 
gation—La Noria de Pedrecina—Silver mines—Cuencame—Another 
efa—Break down—Cold weather—El Pozo—Recent incursion of In- 
dians—Reach Parras. 
November 13th. When all was in. readiness to start, 
ne of our mules was missing. After hunting about 
for him for an hour or more, we set off, leaving an 
arriero to continue the search. A few hours after, the 
arriero overtook us with the missing animal, which he 
found concealed in the inner apartment of a house. 
A woman had fortunately witnessed the roguery of one 
of her countrymen as he slyly secreted the mule, and 
she informed the man who was searching for it. _ 
We made fourteen miles to-day, reaching La Noria 
(The Draw-well)-* at 2 o’clock ; but it was necessary 
* Noria is properly a wheel or engine for drawing water from a 
VoL. 1,.—30 
