470 CUSTOM-HOUSE REGULATIONS. Book III. 
CHAPTEE IV. 
New Custom-house Regulations on the Mexican Frontier — Continuation of the 
Journey to California — Mexican Passport System — Commencement of 
Spring Vegetation in the Sand -^- Crossing the Rio Grande — Yalley of 
Mesilla — Geological Features — A Murderer joins our Party — Smallpox 
effects a Life Insurance — Rio de los Mimbres — Ojo de Inez — Long 
March without Water — Dry Lagoon — Natural Wells — A beautiful Spring 
and Indian Beastliness — Guadalupe Pass — San Bernardino — Origin of 
the Rio Yaqui — Monument with Indian Hieroglyphics — Springs of the 
Rio de San Pedro — Apaches — Charming Valleys — Strata of Conglo- 
merate — Impassable Mountain Pass — Santa Cruz. 
The measures which the President Santa Ana had 
adopted since our last expedition had so injuriously affected 
the importation of merchandize across the Mexican frontier, 
that we could not think of passing our goods through the 
custom-house of El Paso. These measures, although they 
were terminated by the fall of Santa Ana, merit a brief 
explanation. 
The tariff of the Mexican Customs was in general so 
high, as to be almost a prohibition on all importation ; — 
but it was never enforced. The merchants who appeared 
on the frontier with their transports of goods, made 
their special bargains with the custom-house authorities, 
and never paid more than a half, often only a fourth or fifth, 
of the tariff' impost. This practice benefitted both the 
merchant and the custom-house officers, as well as the pur- 
chasers, and ultimately the public; but the exchequer 
was the loser, together with the high authorities. Santa 
Ana, in consequence, bent all his efforts to effect a 
reform, which afforded him an opportunity of keeping up 
