Santa Fe, New Mexico

"The Plaza, some three hundred and fifty feet square, was an open space of mud and dust, until the advent of the Americans in 1846."

"On the north side of the Plaza is the palace; the governors palace, if you please; a long adobe, one story high, and one or two rooms deep. Notwithstanding the American portico in front, it has the aspect and general effect of a dilapidated rope-walk."

"The population of Santa Fé is about 5000. I should say that was the maximum."

"The three remaining sides of the square are occupied by the principal stores of the place, the fonda, or hotel, and the inevitable saloon, coffee-house, and billiard-room, where los Americanos most do congregate."

"More than one half the butter used here comes from the land whence, in New Mexico, every thing good is believed to come, namely, " The States." ...The Pueblo Indians bring in fruit, trout, and game from the mountains, and, also, nearly the sole industrial productions of the country,—jars, dishes, and cups of pottery, some of it painted so as to impart an almost Etruscan or Egyptian air."

"Two streets, of American breadth, run from the east and west side of the Plaza, to the hills bounding the town on the north ; on one of which, to the east, are the ruins of Fort Marcy, built in 1846."

"The following is the substance of Santa Annas decree, dated at his Palace of Tacubaya August 7, 1843: "Article 1st. The frontier custom-houses of Taos, in the department of New Mexico, Paso del Norte and Presidio del Norte in that of Chihuahua, are entirely closed to all commerce." "Art 2d. This decree shall take effect within forty-five days after its publication in the capital of the Republic. It should be understood that the only port in New Mexico for the introduction of foreign goods was nominally Taos, though the custom-house was at Santa Fé, where all the entrances were made. These northern ports have since been reopened by decree of March 31, 1844..."

"The Santa Fé caravans have generally avoided every manner of trade with the wild Indians, for fear of being treacherously dealt with during the familiar intercourse which necessarily ensues. This I am convinced is an erroneous impression; for I have always found, that [natives] are much less hostile to those with whom they trade, than to any other people. They are emphatically fond of traffic, and, being anxious to encourage the whites to come among them, instead of committing depredations upon those with whom they trade, they are generally ready to defend them against every enemy."

"As regards the two different routes to Santa Fé, although Missouri, for various reasons... can doubtless retain the monopoly of the Santa Fé trade, the route from Arkansas possesses many advantages. Besides its being some days travel shorter, it is less intersected with large streams; there are fewer sandy stretches, and a greater variety of wood-skirted brooks, affording throughout the journey very agreeable camping-places. Also, as the grass springs up nearly a month earlier than in Upper Missouri, caravans could start much sooner, and the proprietors would have double the time to conduct their mercantile transactions. Moreover, the return companies would find better pasturage on their way back, and reach their homes before the season of frost had far advanced. Again, such as should desire to engage in the stock trade would at once bring their mules and horses into a more congenial climate—one more in accordance with that of their nativity; for the rigorous winters of Missouri often prove fatal to the unacclimated Mexican animals."

"Houses alternate with wheat and corn fields that grow larger as you reach the edge of the town, and, in separate ranches, finally melt into fields and vegas until you reach the sandy desert a few miles below. A refreshing feature of Santa Fé is made by the acequias or streams of running water used for irrigation, which pleasantly, and in unexpected places, ripple and babble at your feet as you wander through the town."

"The most striking animated feature of Santa Fé is found in the strings or droves of donkeys, burros, who are at once the cart, carriage, saddle-horse, draught-horse, wagon, buggy, stanhope, drosky, jaunting-car, calesa, sled, sleigh, furniture-car, dray, and wheelbarrow, of the Mexican. They bring in incredible loads of marketing... Patient, docile, gentle, and long-suffering, living on next to nothing, they comprise, to the Mexican, the wealth of the Arab in his camel, the Bedouin in his horse, the Peruvian in his llama, the Icelander in his reindeer, and the Irishman in his pig."

"Pinones, the fruit of the nut-bearing pine ( monophyllus), are brought in slightly dried by baking The people make bread of them Chile verde and chile Colorado, our green and red pepper, queso (cheese), onions, punchi, an inferior tobacco, which grows much higher than our tobacco, mostly used by the women, who, with hojas (cornhusks), neatly cut and trimmed, make their cigaritos at home, in the street, at the theatre or halls, and smoke them, too, then and there The chile is not used as a mere condiment or seasoning, but as a dish This and the onion are of a mildness and sweetness that make them different vegetables from ours The onions are of great size I like them and when I get married I intend to have chile colorado frequently I hope she ll like the chile colorado"