449 CHIHUAHUA 
CHAPTER XL. 
CHIHUAHUA TO THE RIO FLORIDO. 
Departure from Chihuahua—Additional escort—Mr. Flotte with his family 
join us—Bachimba—Santa Cruz—Grist mill—Smelting works—Sau- 
cillo—Attack of the Comanches—La Cruz—Las Garzas—Ford the 
Conchas—Santa Rosalia—Its defences erected against the Americans 
during the war—Ramada—Rio Florido—Guajuquilla—Fertile valley— 
Monument to our Lady of Guadalupe—Search for meteorites—Hacien- 
da Blanca—Wagon upset in an acequia—Hacienda de Concepcion — 
Curious mass of meteoric iron—Account of meteorites in the vicinity 
—Hacienda del Rio Florido. 
November 1st. The wagons being repaired, and our 
loss of animals made good by the purchase of addi- 
tional ones, we were this day enabled to resume our 
journey. We had added to our party six men, five as 
an additional guard for our animals, and a blacksmith. 
General Trias also furnished us with an escort of ten 
dragoons. Our party was further increased by the 
addition of Mr. Lewis Flotte (a gentleman to whom I 
have repeatedly alluded), who, with his wife, a Mex- 
ican lady, and eight children, were to accompany us as 
far as the Rio Grande, or even to the Gulf of Mexico. 
He had three carriages and four men, all well armed; 
and, as he had had considerable experience in Indian 
