412 
SANTA CRUZ 
gracefully over his shoulders, and at night is used to 
cover his body. During the heat of the day, it is 
folded up and laid across his saddle, or fastened on 
behind. The women always wear the reboso^ a scarf 
which covers the head and neck. In other respects, 
there is nothing peculiar in their dress, except that 
they prefer very gaudy colors. 
Our road was said to be infested with Apaches, 
who were wont to conceal themselves in a canon 
some ten miles in length, where they attacked small 
parties. Every man, therefore, took the precaution 
to be well armed. We did not get away until three 
o’clock in the afternoon, when a ride of six miles to the 
south-west brought us to San Lazaro^ a large ruined 
hacienda, on the banks of the Santa Cruz River, where 
an extensive soap manufactory was formerly carried 
on. The buildings were beautifully situated in the 
valley, amid a grove of large cotton-woods, with an 
extensive orchard of peach and quince trees ; but the 
fruit had all been gathered by parties who had passed 
before us, or by the Indians. I walked through the 
tenantless chambers of the hacienda, which seemed to 
have been built with a view to comfort and conve- 
nience unusual in the country. It had been deserted 
for six years ; and in this short period, the rain had 
washed away some of its walls, and portions of the 
roof had fallen in. An adobe building will last many 
years with care ; but it must be closely watched 
during the rainy season : for when once the water has 
found its way through a wall, it very soon makes for 
itself a wider passage ; next the timber in the roof gives 
way ; and in a short time, the whole building becomes 
