The Arkansas advocate., 1835-03-27

thousand souls. Besides ihis, there are three or four other small villages, and some scattering settlements here and there. Perhaps the whole valley may ceniaiii four or five thousand inhabitants.
 I well remember my first entrance into a Mexican mud palace. Passing through an opening wherein folding gate of massy pine was swinging, l found myself in . large court, surrounded on three sides with buildings of mud, like arid walls, with here and there a little square window, with panes of mica, and cross-bars ofwood-resenl- bling the windows and grates of jail. Crossing the court, passed under a long piazza, supported by rough pillars of pine, of about the same finish as the elumhering wheels and axles which lay about the yard and thence entered long passage, at the end of which hung q curtain. Raising this, popped through little square open ing into the sitting room of the then first AlcaIde of Saa fs,aaadcS de I'aos. The Senor himself. a tall, pleasant looking old man, with grey hair-and his wife, busy and merry little old woman, greeted nie kindly-for whatever vices that people may possess, they are at least hospitahie. There IS something ludcrous even 10 me. in the reminiscence of that scene. l wish were painter, that might send you a sketch of 1t q ia Ho9arth. Suppose you imagine f, and then you can sketch. t for yourself Twill just give you the outlines.
 A room about fifteen feet square-wiih one little square window-a a little furnace like fire place in one corner-piles of color- ed hlankefs all round the roam-two or three huge chairs of pine-a low table of the sa'ae-asd on the white washed walls various rough pictures, roses of red cam hrie, and crucifxes. Imagine then, Fl Se- nor Alcalde, with sharp nose. and little keen eyes-haIf sitting, half reclining on the blankets, smoking . cioafgt;to oi corn husk-dressed in a short jacket of blue cloth, with about a hundred buttons on it-- short breeches-forgive the word, ladies, or suppose 1t erased, and substitute eatzo- faes--long grey stockings and mocasins. Opposite him is his lady. dressed like an American woman. imaaihe then, his son, and that sous Wife-tile former a dandy, with his eha4statn of gorgeous yellow calico his ealeoneras, open att the side of the leg, of fine cloth eHlbroiilered-ell -ellbaatoaed-- shall mt coin fao3--aad embroidered ii inc bottom of each leg with a broad band Of as4f.ras.fsz1 co oi silk, and her scarf slaadlng her brow, and waving over her dark locks. And lastly, imagine my own individual self just from the prairie--a tall, wild, smoked, rz1l T have excited considerable attention in your fair city of Boston. A cap of fur covered a long and tangled mass of hair--leggins of blanket protected my neither limbs and thin mocasins my feet--and round me was wrapped budaIo robe, out of which ap- peared my whiskered and mustaehoed face, black as a Cumanche's with pine smoke. Such apparitions, however, were common there, whatever they might be q;
 Boston, and so, without much ceremony
 and in consideration ofmy having bespoEen
 sistencia there for day or two, was soon introduced to my first Mexican break l .sssss ,..-,,s ss.s,-s, tls=~.eI fastsfea aid
 scoreh my throat grievonsly, did ample 1 1 honor 10 mine hosts yiands, and witha 1 gave great satisfaction to mine inward man. f
 I was at San Fernandez a week--saw a fandango or two--and then departed for
 Ssnia Fe, in company with three other
 Americans. As t is not my purpose to fellow your journal makers and men who travel for the end of making books, shall not trouble your readers with any very pre- else description of the route. There was something of adventure in crossing the mountains in a snow storn-and assure you that the mountains between Taos and
 iJ Enbudo, are not to be lightly spoken of neither IS a snow storm on them any thing very interesting or agreeable, when one rides mule.
 There was nothing on the road which either excited my attention or would inter est your readers, except the villages of the : civilized Indians. These excited many reflections. Scattered here and there over the valley of the Del Norte--speaking diff ferent languag0s--they tell you silently but forcibly that these tribes are tho wreck and remnant of what they once were. l wish that Catlin, the painter, or some one of equal talent--some of our yankee painters would 20 into that country. On the Del Norte he might find twenty tribes, all diff ferent-noble looking men. In the noun tains there are multitudes-and between the Del Norte and the Pacific. If they wish for originality and fame, there they may find both. Would had been a paint CT! -a man possessed of talents, money and leisure, might tell the world, after two or three years research in that country, things to astonish it, and establish his own fame. He would stand at Santa lie or Taos, on the line of demarcation which se-
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