ALAMO MUCHO. 125 
provisions is kept at this place, with a file of soldiers, 
for the supply of Fort Yuma, and of government trains 
passing and repassing. A few horses are also kept 
here, to facilitate the communication between Fort 
Yuma and San Diego. The distance between those 
places is about two hundred and twenty-five miles, 
and Vallecita jis about half way. Beyond it, towards 
the Colorado, there is little or no grass; so that trains, 
after they have crossed the desert, usually stop a day 
or two here, to recruit their animals. 
A band of Diegeno Indians live here, to whom the 
arrival of a train is an event of some importance. They 
made their appearance early this morning, dressed in 
their holiday clothes, and appeared more cleanly than 
any Indians we had seen. Nearly all wore clean white 
or fancy calico shirts, their only garment; pantaloons 
being regarded by all Indians as useless articles of 
dress. These people were formerly connected with 
the Missions, and hence call themselves Christians ; 
but they now live ina most degraded state of indo- 
lence and poverty. They cultivate beans and pump- 
kins, and pick up an occasional mule, which serves them 
for food; though their main reliance is upon the acorns, 
which they collect and store up in large baskets for 
winter use. The labor of preparing them for food is, 
like almost all other labor, performed by the women, 
who were to be seen in front of every hut wielding 
their heavy stone pestles. When the acorns are re- 
duced to flour, it is washed to remove the bitter taste, 
and then cooked into a kind of gruel, or made into 
bread. These Indians were very attentive to us, bring- 
ing us wood (which is very scarce here) and water, 
