It  appeared  that,  when  the  army  arrived
within  view  of  the  insui^ent  force,  Armijo
evinced  the  greatest  perturbation.  In  fact,  he
was  upon  the  point  of  retiring  without  ven-
turing an  attack,  when  Captain  Munoz,  of
the  Vera  Cruz  dragoons,  exclaimed,  "  What's
to  be  done,  Greneral  Armijo  ?  If  your  Excel-
lency will  but  permit  me,  I  will  oust  that
rabble  in  an  instant  with  my  little  company
alone."  Armijo  having  given  his  consent,  the
gallant  captain  rushed  upon  the  insurgents^
who  yielded  at  once,  and  fled  precipitately —
suffering  a  loss  of  about  a  dozen  men,  among
whom  was  the  deposed  Grovernor  Gonzalez,
who,  having  been  caught  in  the  town  after
the  skirmish  had  ended,  was  instantly  shot,
without  the  least  form  of  trial


CHAPTER    VII.
Oeograpliical  Position  of  New  Mexico— Absence  of  nayigable
Screams — The  Rio  del  Norte — Roraaoiic  Chasm — Story  of  a
sunken  River — Mr.  Stanley's  Excursion  to  a  famous  Lake—
Saoia  F^  and  its  Localities — El  Valie  de  Taos  and  its  Fertility —
Soil  of  N'.  Mexico — The  first  Settler  at  Taos  and  his  Cbntract
with  the  Indians — Salubrity  and  PIea.santness  of  the  Climate
of  New  Mexico — Population — Stale  of  Agriculture — Staple
Productions  of  the  Country — Corn-fields  and  Fences — Irriga-
tion and  Acequias — Tortillas  and  TorliUerat — AloUf  PrijoUs,
and  Chile — Singular  Custom — Culinary  and  Table  Affairs-^
Plax  and  the  Potato  indigenous — Tobacco  ^nd  Puncke — Fmits
—Peculiar  Mode  of  cultivating  the  Grape — ^Forest  Qrowths-r-
PiiUni  and  A^zquite — Mountain  Cottonwood — PalmiUa  or
Soap-plant — ^Pasturage.
