This valley contains more than a thousand acres of choice land, well supplied with timber from the heavy pine forests surrounding it.
The prevailing rock is granite, sandstone, limestone, and lias, with occasional conglomerates of various kinds. I noticed strong indications of copper and other minerals; and the general appearance of the country led me to conclude it to be one possessed of vast stores of hidden wealth.
While here, we were quite successful in replenishing our stock of provisions.
My experiments in turkey-hunting made me a proficient shot by moonlight, a feat which adds materially to the sport. This is done by manoeuvring so as to have the turkey in a direct line between the marksman and the moon, causing its shadow to fall upon his face, —then, raising his rifle to a level from the ground upwards, the instant the sight becomes darkened he fires, and, if his piece be true, seldom fails to make a centre shot.
The most feasible mode of hunting turkeys is to watch their roosting places at night; and, after the moon attains the required position, they may be killed by dozens in the above manner. They rarely leave their roosts on account of the firing; but remain, half stupefied with affright, while they are picked off one after another by the practised hunter.
Sept. 25th. Again resuming our journey, we reached Taos on the 1st of October.
41 This tree is a species of pine, quite common in New Mexico, California, and some parts of the mountains. It yields a kind of nut similar to that of the beech, which is esteemed as an article of food. Wild turkeys delight to frequent groves of this timber, and will thrive in an extraordinary manner upon pinion-nuts.
Our stay at this place was prolonged for several days, during which time we took boarding with a Mexican lady, the widow of an American trader.
The country travelled over en route, from the San Carlos to Taos is very rough and mountainous, but variegated by many fertile valleys skirting the numerous tributaries of the Arkansas and del Norte.
The trail crosses several of the latter streams, for the most part bearing an easterly course; among which are the Cornua Virda, Huaquetore, Timpa, Apache, and Pischepa.
These creeks frequently pass through deep cañons of sandstone and limestone for a distance of several miles together, —disclosing upon all sides a wild and romantic scenery. The great fault with the valleys is a lack of timber; the hills, however, are generally supplied with pine, pinion, and cedar, which, in a measure, atones for the above deficiency.
On leaving the Pischepa, a reach of little more than one jornada (day's travel) leads over the mountain range, separating the waters of the Arkansas and del Norte, at a point bearing a short distance to the left of two famous landmarks, called the Spanish Peaks.
Here the traveller is at once ushered into the valley of Taos; and, continuing on, in a brief interval finds himself surrounded by a clan of half-naked Mexicans.
Taos proper embraces several fertile lateral valleys bordering upon the del Norte, and three small affluents from the east and is supposed to contain a population of some ten thousand, including Indians, Moors, Half-breeds, Mulattoes, and Spaniards. It is divided into several precincts,
