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[ 26 ] travellers; and by the sight of the Mexican country towns through which we had passed. However, when I perceived before me that irregular cluster of low, flat roofed, mud built, dirty houses, called Santa Fe, and resembling in the distance more a prairie-dog village than a capital, I had to lower them yet for some degrees. After a short ride, I came to the “plaza,” or public square of the town, and met there with some of my friends, who had gone in advance of me.

The first important news which I heard in Santa Fe was an account of the battle of Palo Alto, that had readied Santa Fe from the interior of Mexico one day previous to my arrival. When we left the frontier of Missouri, the latest newspapers reported the first skirmish, near Matamoros, that preceded this war, and the requisition of General Gaines for more troops; but there was no war declared yet, and the general impression prevailed, that if war at all should grow out of these difficulties, it would be finished in a short time. I myself, unacquainted with the obstinacy of Mexican character, and confident that our government would take energetic measures to finish the war at a single blow, shared their opinion. Under this conviction, I started for New Mexico, and the present joyful news rather confirmed me in it. The people in Santa Fe appeared indifferent to the defeat at Palo Alto; no excitement prevailed; only Governor Armijo felt alarmed, because he had been informed that troops would be sent over the plains to occupy New Mexico. All the information we could really give him on that account was, that such a plan had been thought of; that no troops were ready when we left; and that if they started at all, they could hardly reach New Mexico in less than two months hence. In the meanwhile, Governor Armijo treated the traders as usual. After some bargaining, they agreed to pay $625 duty on each wagon; those who wanted to go into the interior received the usual passports from him, and everything went on as in perfect peace. While the traders were occupied with the arrangement of their mercantile business, I availed myself of this delay to take a look at the strange lite in Santa Fe, to make some scientific observations, and to collect as much information about the country as circumstances would allow, the summary of which I insert here as an abridged statistical account of New Mexico. My short stay, as well as the general want of statistical documents in this State, and the very unpropitious time to ask insight into the few that existed, render it impossible for me to give any more definite account for the present.

To define the boundaries of New Mexico is no easy task, for the reason that they never seem to have been clearly defined; and the recent controversy in relation to the boundaries of Texas, makes them more indefinite still. To come to a clear result, we must begin with the facts, known as such. Towards the north and northeast, New Mexico meets with the boundary of the United States, as agreed upon the 22d February, 1819, between the United States and Spain, to wit: that part of the line which run: from Red river in the 100° longitude west of Greenwich, up to the Arkansas; then along the Arkansas to its sources; from thence in a straight line north to the 42° north latitude, and following the 42° west to the Pacific. The southeastern boundary of New Mexico is directly connected with the still still undecided question of the boundaries of Texas. The limits of the Mexican province Texas, previous to its revolution, are generally