194 
EL PASO AND 
courts. The church and presidio are in a ruined state ; 
they were, nevertheless, occupied by our troops for a 
couple of years after the Mexican war. 
North of the town, after leaving Mr. Hart’s mill 
and rancho, which are near the dam, the first building is 
White’s Rancho or Frontera, eight miles above. There 
is no valley or bottom land in all this distance, as the 
mountain chain here crosses the river. Frontera was 
used as an astronomical observatory by the Commis- 
sion during its operations in this district. Soon after 
we gave it up it was destroyed by the Apaches. It 
has nothing as a position to recommend it. Above 
this point the valley remains in its natural state. 
Some lands were ploughed and sown in 1851 ; but the 
