Chap. HI. AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE JOURNEY. 227 
paring them. They are boiled in water till soft*, a part of 
the water is then evaporated, and a pan, with some fat in it, 
is placed on the fire ; the beans are poured into it, salt is 
added, they are left to stew for a moment, and the most 
savoury and nourishing food a hungry traveller can desire is 
prepared. It is well known that this dish is never wanting 
at the most luxurious Mexican table, where it invariably 
concludes the meal before the dessert is served ; but to do 
full justice to it pure soft water is required. The broth, 
as is well known, contains the most nutritious part, and, 
indeed, I have often taken it out of the kettle and drank 
it, when returning from my night-watch to the camp-fire, 
hungry, frozen, and exhausted, and have found it as good 
and as strengthening as a cup of broth. Bread is daily 
baked in the camp, and is generally eaten hot. 
For the chief table of our caravan, to which I had the 
advantage to belong, we had a quantity of choice delicacies 
with us, — preserved meats and fine vegetables, cauli- 
flowers, asparagus, oysters and lobsters, sardines in oil, 
delicate hams, pickles and preserved fruits, tea and cho- 
colate, claret and champagne. For these luxuries we 
were indebted to the presence of a lady in our caravan ; 
but the gentlemen of such a party of travellers are gene- 
rally provided with some of these articles. Sardines are 
especial favourites, and their consumption in the prairies 
is so large that the track of tin boxes strewn along the route 
is alone a sufficient clue to mark the road from Independ- 
ence to Santa Fe. 
The caravan has to be amply provided with arms and 
ammunition. Every driver and muleteer is called upon to 
furnish himself with a gun in good order, a rifle or musket, 
— which he must always have at hand, — and many carry 
pistols also. I had myself a brace of six-barrelled re- 
Q 2 
