CHAPTER VI. 
From Anton Chico to Albuquerque. 
Pecos valley.—Sudden freshet.—Division of party.—Agua Negra.—La Cuesta.—Canon Blanco.—La Laguna.—Town and river of 
Galisteo.—Los Cerritos.—Cienega.—Pena Blanca.—San Domingo.—Indian hospitality.—San Felipe.—Bernardillo.—Pueblo 
de Zandia.—Albuquerque. 
September 27— Anton Chico. —At 10 a. m. the train arrived, and camp was pitched near the 
village. Explorations were then made in the vicinity. The general surface of the country 
seems to have heen, originally, an elevated table-land. Through this has been worn a deep 
chasm with bluff hanks, which, above the town, rise directly from the river, and form a narrow 
canon. As we descend the stream the bluffs recede, leaving a strip of valley and the fertile 
basin in which Anton Chico is situated. 
September 28— Anton Chico. —Our cattle drivers yesterday took the wrong road from Sheep 
springs, and travelled towards Las Yegas. We sent after them, and late last night they arrived, 
after a drive of forty miles. To-day the animals are foot-sore and unable to proceed. 
For the purpose of exploring two routes from here to Rio Grande it was proposed to divide 
the party, one portion to go immediately to La Cuesta, leaving Mr. Campbell to complete the 
examinations here, and then continue the survey towards Albuquerque. We sent for our 
mules, which were grazing upon excellent pasture east of the Pecos. The messenger returned 
reporting that a sudden flood of water had hurst through the canon, and swollen the river to 
such depth and velocity as to render it impossible to cross. It was nowhere fordable, and 
animals could not stem such a current by swimming. We have thus lost a day. At sunset, 
however, the water subsided, and the herd was safely driven to camp. Such freshets are 
frequent upon the Pecos; occasioned, probably, by rains among the mountains near its source. 
A whole family of emigrants, in attempting to cross, a short time since, were overtaken by a 
similar torrent and drowned. 
September 29.—The party was to-day divided; the main portion proceeding with the survey 
direct to Albuquerque, while Dr. Bigelow, Mr. Marcou, Mr. Mollhausen, and Mr. Sherburne 
accompanied me to make certain detours north of that line. Following the road we ascended 
the bluff hank before referred to, and in less than seven miles rose six hundred feet. Upon our 
left was a rocky ravine, which probably canoned near the mouth, preventing the road from 
following it. At Agua Negra, on the Pecos, thirty miles south, there is a new settlement, 
where the crossing of the river is said to he excellent. The idea that a railroad might pass 
that way was one great inducement for the establishment of the village. But it is so distant 
from the route we have thus far adopted, that it must he left for future examination. From the 
summit of the bluff our course led over a somewhat hilly prairie to the entrance of Canon 
Blanco. We found that we had passed the trail leading to La Cuesta, which it was our inten¬ 
tion to visit, and therefore turned hack, taking a path which seemed to pursue a northeasterly 
direction towards that place. It was not a wagon road, though a few Mexican carts might 
have passed over it, and proved to he rocky and rough. The general surface, however, was 
level till we reached the edge of the hank overlooking the river and the town. The descent 
then, even by the road, was so precipitous that we were obliged to encamp at the top. The 
view from this point was singular and beautiful. A cultivated valley, about a mile wide, was 
enclosed between bluffs five hundred feet in height. The town, with its plaza and church, rested 
