LA CUESTA.-CANON BLANCO.-LA LAGUNA. 
43 
at the foot of the opposite cliff, and the tortuous river, with a border of trees, wound through 
rich meadows and fields of ripe corn. A sketch was taken by the artist, while some of us 
descended, sliding down on foot, at every turn catching at the rocks and hushes for support. 
The barometer escaped many dangers, and was read at the bottom, indicating, as stated, five 
hundred feet descent. As we entered the valley a loud clamor was heard from the nearest 
rancheros, and we found that the villagers had taken us for a hand of Comanches; for this 
solitary spot is seldom disturbed from without except by those unwelcome visitors. When their 
apprehensions were quieted, and they found us to be Americans, they displayed a singular mix¬ 
ture of rudeness and civility, for they saw we were few in number and unarmed. They insisted 
upon our accompanying them to a ball in the village, but at the same time were heard 
talking to each other of the “ Gringos,”* and joking regarding the outrages that had lately 
been committed by their friends upon Americans in Santa Fe. At length they carried their 
impertinence to such a pitch that a demonstration was made by our party which showed the 
villagers that we had the will to chastise any further displays of it. They immediately apolo¬ 
gized, and afterwards treated us with respect. 
Having bargained for ojas, (fodder for mules,) we separated; some to examine the neighbor¬ 
hood and admire the fine fields irrigated by acequias, others to clamber among the rocks for 
specimens of minerals and flowers. Many large crosses were noticed erected in the fields, 
probably marking the scenes of Indian massacres. At one of the ranchos was witnessed the 
operation of making syrup from cornstalks. The machinery was perfectly rude. A hollow 
log six feet long was placed on end to receive the broken stalks. Below was a grooved plank 
to lead the expressed fluid to a trough. Upon the stalks was placed a circular block of wood, 
and above a stick, upon which rested the trunk of a large pine tree, forming a lever for the 
press. The end of the tree nearest the tub was confined to a post by a pivot, and upon the 
other end were mounted the men and boys of the neighborhood, whose weight served as a living 
force to crush the stalks and separate the sap, which was afterwards boiled to the consistency 
of molasses. 
September 30.—The mules having had plenty to eat during the night, we were enabled to 
leave camp at daybreak. Many Mexicans visited us even at that early hour, and were remark¬ 
ably polite and communicative, not having forgotten the lesson we gave them. La Cuesta lies 
about two miles north of the main road, which we followed yesterday. This country having 
been so well delineated by Simpson and Abert, it seemed unnecessary to divide the astronomi¬ 
cal instruments. We therefore left them with the train, trusting to the odometer, compass, 
and barometer to fix our points. From La Cuesta to Canon Blanco the country is moderately 
level, and rather sparsely covered with small cedars and pines. The camp fires of the main 
party were found at the entrance to the canon, where small pools of water had been discovered. 
The train had passed on before our arrival; proceeding through the gorge, and thence to La 
Laguna, where we overtook it and encamped. 
This little lake is in a slight depression of the prairie near the summit dividing the waters 
of the Rio Grande from the Pecos. It affords sufficient water for trains, and for the flocks and 
herds grazing in the vicinity. In very dry seasons it has been known to fail for two months. 
A properly constructed tank at this place would receive a sufficient quantity of rain to render 
it a permanent reservoir. 
As we approached La Laguna this evening, a storm sprang up on the Zandia; and, notwith¬ 
standing a strong easterly wind, soon enveloped us. The thermometer went down to 45° 
Fahrenheit, and the rain fell in large drops, mingled with hail. The poor mules, loosed from 
the harness, cowered before it. In two hours the shower had passed, but clouds, fog and wind 
remained the whole night. The sentinel and mules were sent to a thicket of cedars about a 
mile from camp for shelter. Eight thousand sheep passed here yesterday from Albuquerque, 
* Gringos: a Mexican term of contempt. 
