506 SALTILLO 
December 16th. The road descended as it did yester- 
day, and was lined on both sides with dense chapporal. 
Made a noon halt at a fine stream, the /zo Meteros, just 
beyond the town of Marin. Passed Aqua Negra, where, 
during the war, General Canales, witha guerilla band, 
burned a train of United States wagons, and mur- 
dered the unarmed teamsters. At 3 o'clock, reach- 
ed Ramos, a small agricultural town, eighteen miles 
from our last camp, where we stopped. The people 
collected around us soon after our arrival; and from 
them we learned that it was exceedingly sickly in the 
place; many of them were suffering from fevers. 
December lith. Our road to-day was very hilly 
and stony. Chapporal and low trees closely hemmed 
in the road, rendering the march dull and monotonous. 
At 4 Pp. M., we encamped at a rancho near the town of 
Carrizitos, where we obtained corn and water. 
December 18th. Between Monterey and the Rio 
Grande, the chapporal is crossed by frequent roads, 
some running to Reynosa, others connecting villages 
and ranchos. We were told of this difficulty ; but as 
the courier who brought my letters from Camargo to 
Encantada, said he knew all the roads, | was induced 
to let him act as our guide. To-day, however, he mis- 
took his way, and led us into an almost impassable 
wood. We could not turn around, and were compel- 
led to cut our way for some distance before we struck 
the road again. Fortunately we extricated ourselves 
without accident, after the delay of an hour or two. 
Soon after, we met with an accident that might 
have proved more serious. This was the loss of one of 
the iron boxes toa wheelhub. The train was stopped 
