346 INSECUEITY OF THE COUNTRY. Book II. 
means for warmth and clothing. Some little snow falls 
occasionally in the winter, and hoar-frosts occur during 
the night, when some ice forms upon the pools. But the 
days succeeding these frosty nights are peculiarly beau- 
tiful, and tempted me to longer and shorter excursions, as 
often as my duties allowed. 
But the insecurity of the country was a greater barrier to 
these excursions than my daily duties. No walk could be 
taken even close to the town without arms. Crosses were 
erected not many hundred paces from the houses, indicating 
spots where murders had been committed by the Indians. 
At no greater distance shepherds carried guns to protect 
their cattle. The occupation of these men is excessively 
dangerous, and nothing but resignation or great courage 
can make it endurable. The larger number of those who 
yearly fall a sacrifice to Indian barbarity belong to this 
class ; and this fact is statistically so clear, that merchants 
hesitate to give credit to the most respectable among them, 
" because at any moment they may be murdered by the 
Indians." 
In their relation to the Indians, it is unjust to attribute 
cowardice to the Mexicans. The lower classes, on the 
contrary, exhibit much bravery ; and though many through- 
out North Mexico are killed daily by these savages, the 
reverse is frequently the case. The masters who, without 
compunction, expose their shepherds and labourers to such 
danger, are much more to be blamed, and, above all, the 
Government, — which is too cowardly and negligent to grant 
the people sufficient means for their own defence, and yet 
have neither the strength nor the will to protect them. 
The inhabitants of a village in the State of Chihuahua — 
having had their cattle stolen by a band of Apaches, some 
women and children carried off, and some of their men 
