Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 1.djvu/565

Rh seven yards deep, which traversed the road: there was no remedy but to form a bridge, which we effected by means of some large trees, which we cut down, and on the following morning, the 8th, drove over without trouble or danger. We proceeded on our journey over a dreadful road, and in the afternoon crossed the River de Bayo, and ascended a steep hill, at the top of which we halted, having accomplished three leagues during the day. Our road the next day lay by the side of the river for some distance; I could not have imagined it possible for carriages to go over such a road: at the worst part of it one of the carriages came down, two of its wheels having been shattered to pieces. Having a bellows with us, we soon built a forge, and began to make the iron work for an extra wheel, which, on the 10th, we completed, together with other work, and on the 11th, continued our journey over the same sort of road, by the river side, and arrived at the Rancho del Carmel, three leagues from Bayo, without accident. The next day we reached a Rancho, not far from Hoyos—the road rather uneven. On the 13th, I went to Hoyos, to look out for some timber to make felloes for wheels, but could not meet with any; I employed, therefore, two carpenters, who accompanied me into the wood, and cut down sufficient to make half a dozen wheels, took a house for a workshop, and in the evening returned to the carriages: the people had been employed all day in repairing the road to bring the carriages into Hoyos, which, in the afternoon of the 14th, they all entered.

This place is situated very near the Sierra Madre, on the same side as Aguayo; its situation is very low and unhealthy, the fever and ague prevailing throughout the year. Catorce lies about fifty leagues to the west of Hoyos; but it is impossible for a carriage to cross the mountains, where tremendous precipices rise one over the other, to an immense height; and there is not only one ridge, but several, forming a distance of at least fifteen leagues across. We stopped here six days, made five new wheels, and repaired several old ones. There are several gold and silver mines in this neighbourhood, but they have not been worked to any great extent.

We left Hoyos on the 21st, drove on about three leagues,