American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-08-15

1891 ,,rdar ouard whatever would bear re-
moving. even to the stretchers and swingie-
trees and left the tongue out all night, not
,~;tbout some qualms of doubt and fear. Our
mules we're placed in high-walled corral to be
sure, but then we knew the walls could be- as
walls often are in New Mexico, burrowed
through; so that, though we locked and kept
the key of the single door of ingress or egress,
we did not feel our important animals to be. a
single whit too far out of harms way. So
solicitous was l all night, that though wanted
rest badly enough, slept with at least one ear
open. Frequently would the wolf-like whelps
of the neighborhood send forth their savage
latrations and as often stimulate my auricular
faculties to their highest tension. Not satisfied
with listening, l more than once-to the best of
my recollection up and made ocular re-
connaissance Of the state of affairs out of doors.
The reader might ascribe all this uneasiness
to want of knowledge of the country and Of a
just confidence in its people. But the truth is,
the better man knows that country the more
cautious he is. To it, in most Of its moods and
ways, is the spirit Of the poets remark appli-
cable
:" Fools rush in where angels fear to tread"
In addition to the above properly defensive
measures we made some little quiet parade of
our rifles and pistols, of which we had pretty
good store, letting the numerous lounging
Crises and the family see that if we were trihed
with there might be some risk involved in it,
After all our dispositions had been made, the
lady OF the house began to place our ordered
supper on the table. During this procedure |
laid down on the banquette, for was far from
feeling or being well. Had the supper been the
simplest in the world to be worthy of the name,
should not have demurred openly or mentally,
but as it was my poor sick stomach underwent
torture from the time the viands appeared till
we left the town; nay, for weeks afterwards
that supper lay undigested in my memory. One
only thing, save the chile, could get along with,
and that was the eggs; they were stomachable
in themselves, for | knew that none of the
mixed and multiplied odors from garlic, goats
meat, onions, sour meal, sour milk, and the
whole terra mcognta of the New Mexican cuisine,
could get through their shells. SO having
brought some bread with US which toasted,
and boiled some of the black tea which had
had the precaution to buy in Santa Fe, | did
very well as to my own eating.
But the table was loaded with dishes so odo
rifle to the nose and so nauseously oleaginous
to my weak stomach, that a constant rebellion
was going on there. One dish looked like a
mass of small worms stewed in yellow oil ; an
other wore the semblance Of the same worms
fried brown third would be sodden flesh of
the goat or kid alone; fourth, the same smoth-
cred with a batter of red pepper, and possibly
garlic and onions interspersed. There were
other fries and stews, but oh / tried the gravy
OF one of them, as being perhaps possible to
get down as it was, and again, oh how long
before its hold was lost upon me-
My companions, who were in high health.
seeing my inability to eat, and being, as they
afterwards confessed, nearly as nauseated ut
the supper as myself-for but for strong pail
Of dgudrdiente, they could not have kept il
down-helped themselves through the ceremony
by taunting me with the excellence of the |
yiands, and otherwise pretending to a wonder |
ful gusto. 1t was too bad of them, considering
my valetudnarian condition, but they did it in
nearly pure self defence.
Fortunate was the moment when these deli
cacies were removed. The next morning /
took 1t into my head to make an excuse for an
irruption into the coctna where our breakfast
was preparing. 1t was nasty almost beyond
belief was hungry from my thin feeding Of
the previous day, and resolved to have hand
at cooking myself SO by the assistance of our
hostess's brother, who spoke tolerable English.
/ got me some onion-broth made Of nv own
bread, which suited me very well, especially as
| knew its history. My companions / left
pretty much to fate, for they deserved none Of
my commiseration.
Breakfast over, mules hitched in, and bills
paid, we cracked whip and started, with loud
and hearty A Dos, 4igadones! The gaping
Grisos who stood by seemed to partake of our
obvious satisfaction, for they ali cacbinaate a
and seemed to think it quite good wit. Wit or
not, 1t was most cordially uttered.
Agadones | thought to answsc remarkably
we,, 20 its name, for somehow conceived it to
be sort Of compound of the Latin alqor md
the Spanish dolores, for it looked cold and m is
erable enough. On its left, passing southwa,cd,
you have the west face of the Sandia mountai in,
very bold and bluff; seemingly Eve hundred
yards off, but really four or Ave miles. Its tnp,
perpendicularly from its base on the plain, is
probably twenty-five hundred feet.
Six miles from Algadones brought us TO Ber-
nalillo, through piece Of country not so wild
and waste as our route had ordinarily been
Bernalillo is the. seat of the Perea family, and
they have some really fine estates along the
fats there. Ii is the most thrifty, life-like
place in the whole of New Mexico The farms
are well fenced in with high ard substantial
adobe walls, which show behind them fine vine
yards and gardens plentifully stocked with
peach, apple, apricot, plum, and other fruit
trees Along one Of the streets of Bernalillo is
. row Of handsome coteonwoods, giving the
place very pleasant appearance. The ha-
ciendas Of the Pereas are strikingly large, and,
doubtless, equally commodious. One Of our
party having an acquaintance with Don Juan
Perea, we called upon that gentleman, and we're
invited to try our judgment upon some Of his
wine, made upon his own estate. We found it
good, wholesome beverage, sufficiently strong,
with good body, but of cloudy, purplish color.
We drank 1t out Of silver tankards.
In Don Juans patio or court stood high
pile Of many-colored ears of corn, telling of the
fertility Of the Don's estate, and the ability with
which he and his household were prepared to
encounter the winters wants. The outer side
of the square, containing the buildings of his
homestead, seemed to me little short Of hun
dred yards in length. At distance il looks
more like one Of those vast olj-fashioned coun-
try hotels, complete at all points, which the