466 RIO FLORIDO 
to stop here, as we could not reach La Partida till after 
dark. I had determined to avoid night travel when it 
could possibly be avoided, as we had gained nothing by 
it. The roads are excellent, and we might go on for twen- 
ty miles without meeting a rock or gully; but the next 
moment we might disable the train by plunging into 
one of these places worn by the rain, or by upsetting 
in some shelving place. There are no bridges in the 
country, except over the acequias; and repairs are 
never made on the roads. If a flood washes a portion 
away, or it is otherwise rendered unsafe to travel, the 
place is simply avoided and a new route taken. 
La Noria is merely a well with a large hacienda for 
the raising of cattle, but with no ground for tillage. 
As it is the only place between the Rio Florido and 
Cerro Gordo where there is a certainty of finding 
water, it is the general stopping-place for all passing 
trains. The table-land here consists of alternate 
patches of grass and chapporal, but enough of the for- 
mer for many thousands of cattle. 
November 14th. Waving a long march before us, 
the camp was called at an early hour; and before the 
sun had shed his first rays upon us, we had breakfasted 
and were moving forwards. Our course lay over a 
broad plain with a superb road, not surpassed by the 
best wrought turnpike. To the east, the view was 
limited by a low range of hills about ten miles distant; 
while in other directions, neither hills nor mountains 
were visible. The plain was slightly undulating, with 
well; the term is also applied to wells where wheels are so employed, 
to distinguish them from pozos, or common wells. 
