Page:Memoir of a tour to northern Mexico.djvu/16

[ 26 ] June 22.–We left the Colorado this morning for the Ocaté creek, (six miles.) The Ocaté contained but little water at that time, but its bed of sandstone and its steep banks seemed to be made for a big river, which form it assumes sometimes. On Ocaté creek there are some pines, the first we have seen close to the road. The elevation of the Ocaté above the see is about 6,000 feet. We started in the afternoon for Wagon mound. Our road as usual, runs through a wide plain, with the constan, view of the northwest mountains before us. Half way a hail-storm overtook us, and forced us to camp in the prairie, (12 miles.)

June 23.–Made this morning 12 miles, to Santa Clara. We are travelling still over a high plain, though more encompassed by mountains than before. The western mountains before us are all covered thickly with pine timber. Some isolated mountains rise in the plains through which we travel. The road passes at the foot of the highest of them, the so-called Wagon mound, which I ascended as far as the rocks would allow. On the Wagon mound I found for the first time a dry specimen of the Opuntia arborescens, (Eng.,) so common throughout Mexico, and whose porous stems are used in the south as torches. The rock composing the Wagon mound is a compact black and spotted basalt, that rises on the top to steep, perpendicular, indented columns of about 100 feet. During my excursion the caravan had come to a halt, and camped on a spring near the Wagon mound, called the Santa Clara. On riding to camp I was taken by surprise at hearing suddenly the warlike sound of a trumpet, and seeing a captain, with 30 Mexican soldiers and a flock of sheep, encamped near the caravan. The soldiers looked as poor and miserable as they could be. Some wore pieces of uniform; some were dressed in mere rags; some seated on mules, and some walked barefooted. All of them were armed with short lances, like the Ciboleros, but rusty guns. After all, they made no formidable appearance; and had no use for it, neither, because they appeared with the most friendly intentions. It was the usual escort sent out by the Governor of Santa Fe to receive the caravans, to protect them from the Indians; to sell his sheep to the it they wanted to buy some, but especially to prevent smuggling. The Mexicans reported that everything was quiet in Santa Fe, and that General Armijo was at the head of government in New Mexico. We travelled in the afternoon about eight miles, and camped in the plain without water, the Mexicans some distance from us.

June 24.–Went in the morning but five miles, to Wolf creek. The descent on the river bank is very steep and rocky. The creek, as well as the whole neighborhood, exhibited again the amygdaloidal basalt, with quartzose sandstone below, both horizontal. Pine, cedars, and sundry shrubs, grow along the creek; the grass and water are good.

Travelling this morning quietly over the plain, we heard in the distance of several miles a singular, awful noise, like a combination of falling rocks, breaking of bones, screams of anguish and cries of children, but the deep impression which the mysterious concert had made upon my ears was but surpassed by the surprising effect, when with my own eyes I descried the wonderful machine whose action produced that unearthly music–a Mexican carréta. Imagine to yourself a cart, made without any nails or iron of any kind, with two solid wheels formed out of the trunk of a big tree, and in the circumference rounded, or rather squared, and with a frame of ox-skin or sticks fastened together by rawhide, and this machine then put