TO RINGGOLD BARRACKS. 511 
companied by Mr. Radziminski and our guide. On 
reaching the river San Juan, a large stream which en- 
ters the Rio Grande, three miles from Camargo, and on 
which that town stands, we found a body of three or 
four hundred Mexican troops, cavalry and infantry, 
waiting to cross. This stream is quite deep, and is 
crossed by a ferry boat attached to a rope extend- 
ing from one bank to the other. As the boat would 
hold but afew horses, it was evident that, if I waited 
for the whole to cross, I should not get over for hours. 
IT sent my guide (who it appeared was a soldier belong- 
ing to the command at Camargo), with my compli- 
ments to the commanding officer, Colonel Cruz, to per- 
mit me to cross at once. This gentleman very polite- 
ly acceded to my request, and directed the boat to 
take over me and my party immediately. On reach- 
ing the opposite side, I rode to the quarters of Colonel 
Cruz, to pay my respects to him, and request permis- 
sion of him to allow the train of the Boundary Com- 
mission to pass unmolested. He assured me that every 
facility should be afforded the train to cross the San 
Juan, and thence to the American line. There was some 
danger here; for this officer was in arms against the 
Mexican government; and but for the character of my 
party, it would not have been suffered to pass so quietly. 
We had had, too, a narrow escape from the rebel chief 
Caravajal, who, with a band of some two hundred des- 
perate characters, had been devastating the frontier. 
We had heard of them at various places after leaving 
Monterey ; and at one village, we learnt that they had 
passed but the day before. 
The population of Camargo is about the same as 
