TO RINGGOLD BARRACKS. 507 
and men sent in search of it, who found it four miles 
back. | 
Reached Cerralvo at noon. This is a better look- 
ing town than any passed since leaving Monterey. 
Many of its houses are of stone, and built with some 
taste. Pushing forward, we encamped at Puntiagudo, 
about twenty-four miles from our last camp. This isa 
small village, which still exhibits the effects of the late 
war in the bare walls of its ruined houses. A small 
stream passes here, one of the tributaries of the Alcan- 
tra. 
December 19th. Our road continued over low hills 
with deep and narrow arroyos at the bottom, one of 
which cost us a wheel anda tongue. An occasional 
ravine to pass with abrupt banks, is bad enough; but 
to-day the whole country seemed to be cut up with 
them, requiring the utmost care to prevent accidents. 
After thirty miles of continuous chapporal and a bad 
road, we reached the town of Mier, on the Rio Grande 
at 8 o'clock, though it was midnight before we could 
get corn for our animals, and reduce our camp to quiet- 
ness. | 
Mier is an old town on the banks of the Alcantra, 
a small stream which empties into the Rio Grande three 
or four miles beyond, and appears, like most other 
Mexican towns, to be on the decline. In 1828 its 
population was two thousand eight hundred and twen- 
ty-one. Itis now much less. Many of its houses are 
of stone, and well built. It has no lands capable of 
irrigation; the people, consequently, are obliged to 
depend upon other occupations than agriculture for 
support; and this, doubtless, is the reason of their indus- 
