Chap. IV. MEXICAN PASSPORT SYSTEM. 473 
Gila and Colorado, where this fruit, for hundreds of miles, 
is the only food for the cattle. I could almost have made 
a journey to Chihuahua in this time ; and indeed I did set 
out, but only accomplished half the distance. The person 
there with whom I had business met me accidentally half 
way. I had at the same time an opportunity of learning 
by experience the Mexican passport system, much improved 
by Santa Ana, which has since been quite changed; at 
that time it was unique in the New World. Pleasant 
recollections of long-forgotten advantages of European life 
were awakened in my mind. I was obliged to appear at 
the "Jefatura," where my description was taken down, 
and my weapons and those of my servants were entered. 
A guarantee had also to be given. But when all this was 
done, the passport was not ready, and I was told to come 
again in two hours. " Es muchisimo trabajo !" (It is a 
great labour), said the Jefe Politico, or Prefect of El Paso, 
as he eyed his slowly -writing secretary. Dona Concha, the 
wife of one of my companions, who was attached to the 
" conducta " going to Chihuahua, was excepted from these 
police regulations. " De las Senoras no dice nada la ley" 
(the law says nothing about the ladies), said the " Jefe 
Politico," with Spanish gallantry. 
If the United States have outdone the English system 
of governing as little as possible, Mexico has surpassed the 
system of the European continental states of governing 
as much as possible. Both American neighbour republics 
go to the extreme ; but with this difference, that the United 
States owe their greatness to their " governing too little," 
whilst Mexico and other Spanish American republics owe in 
part their decline to the system of " governing too much." 
About the time of our arrival at the Bio Grande, two 
scientific expeditions passed through this part of the 
