University of Virginia Library

NOTES.

[Note A.]

For example:—I knew one honest and excellent man from Missouri:
he had been a hard-working mechanic and farmer, and had
raised sufficient money and credit to obtain a stock of goods to
take to Santa Fe. The St. Louis cost of his goods was 1750 dollars;
the duties at the custom house were 2104 dollars, and a gratuity
to the interpreter of 250 dollars. His stock of goods was sold
in the course of a year, at 30 cents per yard, measuring and including
domestic cloth, silks, and in fine, his whole stock, except ribands.
The result was, after paying the custom house, 1500 dollars
with which to pay the cost of his goods and his expenses in transporting
them.

The duties on common domestic—in fact, on domestic of all
qualities, in 21 cents per yard. Those who take in shoes, silks,
coffee and tobacco, which are contraband, are almost the only men
who make anything.

I have given elsewhere a description of the character of a few of
the New Mexicans. As a circumstance, I may mention that the
regular duties for the year 1831 which ought to have been paid to
the Mexican government from Santa Fe, were nearly 200,000 dollars.
Only 30,000 was forwarded from Santa Fe; the rest found a
way into the pockets of individuals.

Perhaps the reader is at a loss to imagine how such a result is
produced. Reader—the bills are reduced to one third (generally)
of their original amount, and thus passed through the custom
house; and the interpreters and custom house officers share the
gratuity paid by the merchants for this favor and service.

[Note B.]

It has been asserted that there is danger from the Pawnees and
Comanches to the Cherokees and Choctaws in their new country.
Now, reader, the case is far otherwise. The Pawneer come in to
the bounds of the Osage nation, at times; but even they, the cowardly
Osages, whip them. As to the Comanches, there is no earthly
danger, for they never come within the Cross Timbers.

[Note C.]

This river Semaron is a branch of the Arkansas on the south.
It is a singular river. You may see it one day running flushly in

one part of it, and sinking, below, entirely in the sand, and the
next day the case will be reversed. The dry place will then run
water, and the place which was before running will be dry as a
desert. The bed of the river and its banks are covered with salt;
not like the salt of the Brazos, pure muriate of soda, but bitter and
nauseous, like the sulphate of soda. I believe it would produce
precisely the same effect as the latter substance. This river is a
great haunt of the Comanches, heads in the mountains, and has
beaver at its heads.

[Note D.]

The Caiawas live not far from the heads of the Arkansas, but
they are as far from being brave, faithful, &c. as the Comanches.
Bill Williams says that no man on earth can learn to talk their language.
He says that it is all like dropping stones in the water;
punk! punk! punk! The Comanche tongue is easy to learn.

[Note E.]

There are some splendid mountains west of the Del Norte; and
it was while encamped, with one servant, among them, that I wrote
these lines. I pity the man who cannot feel the influence of sunset
among the mountains. Were I given to a belief in presentiments
and sympathies, I might strengthen that belief by referring
to these lines. My sister died in March, and they were written in
April of the same year.

[Note F.]

The Mexicans are great improvisators; but their poetry which
they thus manufacture is truly despicable. In the south, I believe,
it is better. They know but little about poetry, or anything else,
in New Mexico, except their catechism; but here is a small article,
which I have heard them sing.

Which, translated, runs thus:

There is a splendid piece of poetry, which one or two men in the
country can sing. The story is, that La Pola was the mistress of
Bolivar. The air to which it is sung is a superb minor, and it always
gave me a thrill at hearing it.

This is not all of it, but it is all which I can remember. I subjoin
a translation, not aiming in it at rhyme.

The reader who has perused the Bravo of our countryman
Cooper, has seen a heading of a chapter in that novel entitled part
of a boat song. It is singular that the New Mexicans have a song
commencing in the same way. I could have had it all written for
me, but not intending, when I left Santa Fe, to come into the
United States, I neglected it. The Spanish song begins thus:

and every verse ends with `oye mi linda!' In it the lover describes
himself as a fisherman, whose bait `es el amor.'

[Note G.]

For example:—a man steals your horse, and gets you to give
him five or six dollars for finding him. This is diligencia.

[Note H.]

Ikanese is the name by which the Comanches designate the
Americans. The Gromonts of the prairie are a band of the Blackfeet,
or, as the Spaniards call them, Patos Negros. The Shoshones
are the Snakes.

[Note I.]

Cañon.—pronounced canyone.

[Note K.]

The Paiuts live to the west of Santa Fe. So do the Coyoteras,
who are the terror of the trapper. The Moqui (pronounced Mokee,)
and the Suni (Sunee) live near the Nabajo.

[Note L.]

If Xenophon did not write the praises of home, he ought to
have done it.