the necessity of passing twice over the same line of desolate and monotonous country. This we must have done, had we proceeded from Guanajuato to Durango by the usual route through Zăcătēcăs and Sŏmbrĕrētĕ, by which alone we could hope to reach Aguas Calientes on our return, where it was our intention to branch off towards Guadalajara and Valladolid. The appearance of the map was not indeed encouraging, for there is not a single Rancho laid down in the whole tract of country that we were about to traverse; but Mrs. Ward having resolved rather to take her chance of bivouacs, and a little starvation, than to be left behind until we could meet her again at Aguas Calientes, we determined to take our own line, and to trust to Providence to carry us through. Our horses and mules were quite refreshed by a week's rest, and, with the exception of my little girl, who was still far from strong, we were all in admirable travelling condition ourselves; so that we looked forward almost with pleasure to the difficulties which we were about to encounter.
We left Guanajuato by the gate of Marfil, and proceeded to Silao, a "Pueblo Ranchero," surrounded with maize fields, about four and a half leagues off, and from thence to the Hacienda de Chĭchĭmĭqūīllăs, situated in a barranca full of Aguacates, fig-trees, oranges, and magnificent Palma Christi. The climate was almost "templado," for the road from Silao, which is itself 1,389 feet lower than
