leave them on our left and pasing Some Small mounds[91] on the Right
Which Stand alone in the Pirarie at fifteen miles Crosed a Small
Crick[92] Runing West from the mountains a Cross the plain and In the
Evening Crossed two more Small Streems Runing as before and at night
Camped on a Small Crick at the lower Eand of this large [San Luis] vally
Heare the mountain Puts a Cross the Plain to the River Delnort about 6
miles to our Right as We Have been going down that River at about the
above distance Ever Since We Came in to this plain—on this Crick there Is
a Small Spanish vilege but abandoned by the Inhabetance for feer of the
Indeans now at War With them We this day troted the Horses more than Half
the time and maid thirty miles nor did We Stop till In the night
South 30 miles—
Wensday [Thursday] 7th Feby 1822
We Set [out] at an Early Hour Crossing a Crick[93] Well adapted for
mills of Ither the Saw or the grinding and plenty of tall Pitch Pine—We
Heare proceded up the Side of a High mountain and Continueing alonge the
Side of it the River Runing Close under the futt of it So that the Was
no other Way to pass—We Continued over Ruff grounds and deet guters
for nine miles to a Small vilege[94] on a Crick[94]—Heare We Capped
[camped] in the vileg for the night—and our gides left us as Well as the
Intarpreter after Shewing us Into a Hous as He Said of Honest People—and
telling on ordors that I Had no money but wold pay in Such artickels as
We Had the land lord Was verry Kind I obtained Some taffe[95] for the men
as the Have not tasted any Sperits Since We left the virdegree He put all
our goods in a dark Room and locked them up—and We lodged in an outer
Room—the Inturpreter and guide promised us to Return to us Early—Sᵒ 30
West 9 miles
thorsday [Friday] 8th Feby 1822
We Had the Horses up Early and With Some defequeelty got out the Saddles
and Bridles—and then atempted to Settle the Bill but the Spanierd
Ither Cold not or Wold not under Stand me I Soposed the amt about Six
dollers—and layed ten Dollers Worth of Knives and tobaco—Which He took
up and put a Way I demanded the goods but to no purpose He Wold not let
me Have them Still Saying that Battees[96] told Him not to let the goods
go till He Came now this Battees Was one of the men Imployed Heare and
Sent by Conl glann to asist us over the mountain—and I began to ConClude
that Some vilenus Skeem Was at Worke betwen Him and the landlord as He
did not Return as He promised—but after about three Hours disputeing
and Indevering to get the goods I Seen that nothing but force Wold do
I Steped to my gun and So did Robert Fowler I told the men to do the
Same—and [when] I Seen all Readey I Spoke loud Saying I Wold Have the
goods and Shoing much anger—the Spanierd got in a better umer and gave
up the goods—So We loaded and moved on Crossing a Crick Which Run West
threw the villege Steered a little South of East about twelve miles over
a High Butifull plain to the villege of St Flander[97]—In the nibor Hood
of touse.[98] about two miles from the villege We meet With Conl glann
at the Crossing of a Crick[99] Which [ran] West—on our a Rivel at the
villege We mised one of the Hors loads of meet and on Inquiery it was
found that one of the Spanierds Head taken it of to His own Hous at about
three miles distance So We lost it there being no moad of Recovering
it—He was one of the men Sent out to asist us over the mountains and that
morning With out being notised put the load on His own Hors—and falling
behind maid His Eskape With the meet—We Heare found the people extremly
poor. and Bread Stuff Coud not be Head amongest them as the Said the
grass hopers Head Eat up all their grain for the last two years and that
the Head to Pack all their grain about one Hunderd miles—for their own
use—We found them Eaqually Scarce of meet and Ware offered one quarter
of a doller a bound for the meet We Braght in With us—but this We Cold
not spair and Haveing nothing Els to eat it Will not last us long—and no
Bread Stuff to be got Heare We must Soon leave this Reeched place—and now
in the dead of Winter and the Waters frosen tite Exsept the River Delnort
Which is Said to be oppen to Which We Intend to go as Soon as poseble
to Cetch Bever to live on as there is no other game In this part of the
Cuntry—
Satterday 9th Feby 1822
Remained In the villedge all day and In the Evening there Was a
Colletion [of the] men and Ladys of the Spanyerds Had a fandango in our
House Wheare the appeered to InJoy them Selves With the Prest at their
[head]—to a great degree—
Sunday 10th Feby 1822
Remained In the villege all day But Sent out two parteys of trapes to
Remain out till the first of may next—Hear it may be Remembered that a
Capten and Sixty men of the Spanierds Came in from the arkensaw With Conl
glann and little party—and now the Same Capten and party Has Crossed the
mountaines again—but before He let [left] Home Has Interdused Conl glann
and Mr. Roy to His family Consisting a Wife and two daughters both young
Woman the old lady Haveing paid us a visid In the morning appered In a
few minet quite formiler and as Well aquainted With us as If She Head
knone us for several years tho She did not Stay more than about Half an
Hour—But in the after noon a boy Came With a mesege for Conl glann mr Roy
and the negro. Who after Some Ceremony acCompanyed the two gentlemen but
With Some Reluctance aledgeing that He Was not Settesfyed to go With out
His master aledgeing as the ladys appeerd more atached to Him than [to]
the White men—that there might be Some mischeef Intended and uder those
doupts He Went as I before Stated and from the Statement of those two
gentlemen I Will Indevour to State What followed—it Is a Custom With the
Spanierds When Interdused to Imbrace With a Close Huge—this Ceremoney So
Imbareshed Pall and maid Him So Shaimed that I[if] a Small Hole Cold Have
been found He Wold Sartainly Crept Into it. but unfortnetly there Was no
Such place to be found. and the trap door threw Which the desended Into
the Room being Shut down [for the Went In at the top of the House][100]
there Was no Poseble Way for Him to make His Escape—now the Haveing but
one Beed in the House and that So large as to be Cappeble of Holding the
three Copple of poson—there Ware all to lodge to geather and the mother
of the daughters being oldest Had of Corse the ferst Chois of Bows. and
took pall for Hir Chap takeing Hold of Him and drawing Him to the beed
Side Sot Him down With Hir arms Round His Sholders. and gave Him a Kis
from[?] Sliped Hir Hand down Into His Britches—but it Wold take amuch
abeler Hand than mine to discribe palls feelings at this time being
naturly a little Relegous modest and Bashfull He Sot as near the wall
as Was Poseble and it may be Soposed He Indevoured to Creep Into it for
Such Was His atachment to the old lady that he kept His [eyes] turned
Constently up to the trap door—and to His great Joy Some person oppened
it to Come In to the Same Room—But Pall no Sooner Saw the light [for
their Rooms are dark][101] than He Sprang from the old lady and Was out
In an Instent—and maid to our lodgeing as fast as Poseble Wheare the
other two Soon followed and told What Head Happened to Pall
monday 11th Feby 1822
Remained in the vilege all day nothin meterel took place.
tusday 12th Feby 1822
I Set out on a traping tower With Robert Fowler—Taylor Walters and Pall
With Eight Horses We Went South West about ten miles to the bank of the
River [Rio Grande]—Which Bank or Bluf Was So High We Cold see no Chance
of getting down With the Horses for We looked some time before We Cold
see the River the distance Was So great—and the River looked like a Small
Spring Branch that a man might Easely Step over—and Head We not been
told that the River Was In that gap We Cold not Have beleved the River
Was there at all—We then Pased down a long the Bluff about two miles and
found a path Way down the mountain—the Bluf or River Bank as you may
Chose to Call it Which path We took but With great danger to our Horses
and In about two Hours going down that mountain We got to the River Which
is about one Hunderd yds Wide and is fordable With Horses—and now takeing
a vew of the River I find it is at least one thousand feet below the
leavel of Pirarie. and is bound With a bluf of Rocks on Each Side mostly
Parpendickeler So that there Is but few plases that Ither man or Beast
asend them—We are now at the mouth of the [Taos] Crick Which Pases threw
touse Heare is two Houses With Each one family of Spanierds and it is not
Poseble the Have more than Half an acer of ground to live on. and Shold a
Rock Breake loos and Come down Wold destroy the Hole Settlement
Sᵒ 45 West 10 to the River
Wensday 13th Feby 1822
Robert Fowler and my Self Went down the River about Six miles on foot
to look for Bever no Sign of any the River is So bound With Rocks that
With much difequaty We maid our Way Heare We found a nother Small
villege[102] With Eight or ten Houses and a foot Bridge a Cross the River
over Which We Went and Heare We found a Path up the River Hills Which
[were] full as High as Wheare We first Came to it But Heare the Rocks
are So broken that a Papth Way is found up threw them after a long and
tedeous Walk We a Rived at the top of the Hil and found our Selves on
oppen leave[l] Pirarie of from forty to fifty miles Wide. We are now on
the West Side of the River and Went up along the Bluf about two miles
and Came to a dry Crick Which put into the River but the Rocks Ware So
High on Each Side that We Walked up it about one Hour before We found
any Poseble Chance of Crossing it after Which We pased over the leavel
Pirarie opset our Camp[103] Wheare We found a path leading down threw
the Rocks to the River and it appeers that there is no poseble Chance of
going up or down these Clifts but at those paths—for as Soon as you Come
to the top of these Clifts and look down you are so struck With Horror
that you Will Retret In an Instant
thorsday 14th Feby 1822
Crosed the River Early and Wound up the mountain along a path maid By
the Spanierds among the Rocks till We arived at the top in the oppen
World and Steereing to the north leaveing the River on our Right Hand and
Camped at night opesed the villege Wheare We Head the defequeelty Withe
the land lord We this day maid about fourteen[104] miles—and found no
Watter for our Horses Sent two Kittles down to the River for Watter Heare
We find the mountain about the Same Hight as Wheare We Ca[m]ped last
night With a path up threw the Rocks maid by the People of the villege on
the East side—14 miles
Friday 15th Feby 1822
We Set out Early up the margin of the River about twelve miles to the
point of a mountain Cut off by the River forming a parpendickelor Bluff
of about fifteen Hunderd feet High—over this mountain We Head to Clime on
the top of Which the Snow Was nee deep—tho there Was none on the Pirarie
We Went four miles farther and Camped on the margen of the River Sent
down two kittles for Watter and sot two bever traps—Heare the Rocks or
Bluffs are a little Broken and not quite so High as Wheare We Stayed the
two nights past—tho Heare they are about nine Hunderd feet High and So
Steep—Exsept the Spot Wheare Sent down the kittles that a Squerel Cold
not Climb them—our distance this day is Sixteen miles—16 miles
Satterday 16th Feby 1822
found one Bever in a trap this morning Sott the two traps again and moved
up the River about Six miles and Ca[m]ped on the margen of the River the
Rocks not So High as last night but So Steep that We Cold not git Watter
from the River and melted Snow for that Purpose Which We found among Some
Rocks We found some dry Ceders for fier Wood—6 miles
Sunday 17th Feby 1822
Very Cold Haveing Snowed a little In the fore part of the night Sent for
the two Bever traps—the River Had frosen over them So that We Caught
nothing—Seen two men on Hors Back at a great distance Soposed to be
Indeans—the Road off as fast as their Horses Cold Carry them—We this day
Seen Six Wild Horses tho two of them must Have been In Hands as their
tails Ware Bobed Short—We find no game yet and our Stock of provetion Is
nearly out—
monday 18th Feby 1822
We Sot out Early up the River and at about 12 miles Came to the upper
Eand of the High Rocks[105] and going down a gradual decent three or
four Hunderd yds Came to a low Bottom on the River the Bank being low
not more than six or Eight [feet] High the River butifull and a bout
one Hundred yds Wide—But all frosen up tite—We Heare got Watter for the
Horses—it Is Heare proper to Remark that the River as far as We Have Seen
it pasing down betwen the High Rocks or mountains—dose not move In a very
gentle manner as It appeers much Impeded by the Rocks falling from Each
Side. and is forsed forward dashing from one Rock over others In almost
one Continued foam the Hole distance threw the mountains Which from What
I Can larn is about seventy miles When it appeers below In an oppen
Cuntry—I Have no doubt but the River from the Head of those Rocks up
for about one Hundred miles Has once been a lake of about from forty to
fifty miles Wide and about two Hunderd feet deep—and that the running and
dashing of the Watter Has Woren a Way the Rocks So as to form the present
Chanel—We this day Crosed a dry Branch. But Have not Seen one Streem of
Watter In all the distance We Have Came up on the [west] Side We travled
nor Cold our Horses get one drop of Watter in all that distance but the
Eat Snow When the Cold get it—We Went up the River a bout Six miles
further and Camped on the East Side in a Small grove of Cotten Wood trees
the Ice In [is] now so Strong the Horses Can Cross at pleasure—We find
nothing to kill Exsept two of the Big Horned Sheep [_Ovis montana_] one
of Which Robert Fowler shot but Cold not git it—
We this day maid Eighteen miles our Corse about north all the Way up the
River—North 54 miles[106]
tusday 19th Feby 1822
We Set out Early up along the West Side of the River and at two miles
Came to High Short Hills Which Put In Cloce to the River on both
Sides and Continu for about three miles Wheare We find Wide and low
Bottoms—Heare We See timber a Head Wheare We Will Indevour to Camp this
night—and at ten miles We Came to Slovers party In Camped about two miles
up Pikes forke of the Delnort and about three miles below His Block House
Wheare He Was taken by the Spanierds—this fork Is oppen ocationed by the
large Warm Spring Spoken of In Pikes Jurnal this party Has Caught Some
Bever and their Is Sign of more in the River our Cors this day Was north
30 West ten miles—there is plenty of Cotten Wood trees and Willowes along
this but Scarce a tree on the main River
N 30 West 10 miles[107]
Wensday 20th Feby 1822
We moved up the River threw the Bottom Which is about fifty miles Wide
In Cluding the second Bottom leavel and Rich and not a tree to be Seen
Exsept a few along the River bank—We maid twelve miles. and Camped on the
East Side among Some Willows and geathered drift Wood for our fier—the
Weather Is very Cold the Snow fell last night about two Inches deep—Cors
north 12 miles[108] See nothing to kill
thorsday 21st Feby 1822
Crosed over on the Ice and up the West Side of the River the timber and
Brush Is now plenty In the low bottoms Which are from two to four miles
Wide tho these are not all Covered With timber—and Hear there Is on both
Sides What We Call a second bottom a little Higher than the first—the
Hole now makeing a distance of from 30 to 40 miles now Since We Have Came
to the timber We find much Sign of Bever—But the River Is So frosen that
We Cannot ketch them We Camped on the East Side of the River and Conclude
to go to the West mountains[109] In the morning and try to kill meet to
Eat as our provetions are all gon—nor Have We Seen any kind of game Since
We left Slovers party N 45 West 18 miles
Friday 22nd Feby 1822
Robert Fowler and my self Set out Early on futt for the West mountains
and Steered for a Small streek of Brush Whear We Exspect to find Watter
as that kind of Brush dos not grow With out We on the Way See Eight[y] or
90 Wild Horses and In devour to git In Shot distance so as to kill one to
Eat—but In that We failed for Whin We Ware at about one miles distanes
the Seen us and all Run off—We Went to the mountain and Camped by the
Side of a large Rock Wheare We [found] both Wood and Watter Was plenty
but nothing to Eat Pall and taylor Came up With the Horses We all Went up
the mountains to Hunt But See nothing to kill—but there Was Some Sign of
the Big Horned Sheep on the Sides of the mountain amongst the Short Pine
Which Is plenty Heare In Some plases—the Weather Is Cold and Some flying
Clouds—our Corse Was this day West 12 miles—We Heare found by going up
the mountain the Snow Was So deep We Cold not travel tho there Was little
or none In the valey
West 12 miles[110]
Satterday 23rd Feby 1822
We Conclude to go to the River and up it till We find game—Pall and
my Self take the Horses and Steerd north to the River about ten miles
Robert Fowler and Taylor out on the Hunt—Camped on the West Side of the
River—nothing killed this day—
north 10 miles [to] West Side of the River[111]
Sunday 24th Feby 1822
nothing to Eat—Taylor Purposes to take Robert Fowlers Hors and Ride
Hunting Which Was agread to He Went on the West Side of the River I
Went my Self on the East Side up the River about ten miles to the Short
Hills Seen Some Caberey but killed nothing Taylor did not Return at
night—nothing to Eat but look at Each other With Hungrey faceses
monday 25th Feby 1822
this morning Taylor Came Into Camp on futt Haveing lost the Hors With
Sadle Bridle Blankets nek Roap and all In the first Short Hills on the
West Side of the River at Some ten or twelve miles up—and that He Said
He Head Seen many deer Elk and Bares—to Which place We moved as fast as
poseble and got there about 3 oclock Seen a great many deer but killed
nothing—our Corse West ten miles
tusday 26th Feby 1822
all out and Hunt till about 10 oclock but killed nothing tho Seen Some
deer—We now begin to think of killing one of our Horses—but first move
to a fresh Camp Wheare We Have not disturbed the game and try In the
Evening again to kill Something We move about two miles to the River—as
We Were now Camped on a Small Crick[112]—and put out the Horses Robert
and my Self took our guns to Hunt on futt as there Was much timber land
Heare—but Taylor and Pall Began to Complain of Hunger of Which Taylor
began gro black In the face and Pall Was gitting White With the Same
Complaint and the both thaught the Hors Shold be killed. to Which Robert
and my Self Consented and gave them liberty to kill Him as Soon as the
Cold—but not Willing to See that operation Robert and my Self Went off to
Hunt but We Soon Heard the gun fier that We Soposed to kill the Hors—but
We kept our Corse down the River on the Ice as the Brush Was thick and
dry So that If We Went on land We maid So much nois that We Could not git
neer the game—but We Head not gon far before Som deer Was Seen In the
Brush and Robert Went after them and killed two of them He then Went to
Camp for a Hors leaveing me to take Care of the deer—but When He got to
Camp He found one of the Horses about Half Skined—but another Was Soon
got up and the deer Caryed to Camp Wheare We Soon Head Suntious feest and
much Plesentness now appeered Round the fier tho We lamented the fate of
the Poor Hors—as now [we] Head no use for His flesh Which feel a pray to
the Birds and Wolves
Wensday 27th Feby 1822
Sent Pall out Early to look for the Horses We Soon Heard the Report of
gun and not long after Pall Came In With a deer on His back the first
He Ever killed In His life—We Have meet plenty and the Weather Is now
moderate Some Holes appeer a longe Shore In the Ice out at Which the
bever Workes We Sot some traps this day—
thorsday 28th Feby 1822
Caught one bever—and Hunted for the lost Hors—but Have not found Him—
Friday 1st march 1822
Taylor Caught one Bever—Hunted for the lost Hors—met With vanbeber and
two of His party the had found our lost Hors—the Remained at our Camp
that night the Hors Head lost all but the Bridle
Satterday 2nd march 1822
vanbeber and His Party Set out Early up the River We Con Clude to follow
them one or two days Exspecting We may find Some Elk—We Went up the
[River] twelve miles pasing at Seven miles a large pond of Watter of
about 40 acers on the West Side of the River—the Bottom of Which is about
one mile Wide the mountains High on Each Side—the tops of Which are a
great Hight above vegatation at about ten miles We Crost a fork[113]
Puting In on the West Sid about one third as large as the River it
appeers to Head to the West—Heare the River makes a turn to the north as
fare as We Cold See up it—We Camped With vanbebers party the Head killed
one Elk—our Cors West 12 miles—Heare the mountains Put Close to the River
Which [is] very Croked
Sunday 3rd march 1822
I Remained at Camp Robert [Fowler] and Taylor Went Hunting the formor
killed two Elk and left the latter to butcher them While took out Horses
and braught them In to Camp
monday 4th march 1822
Went up the River to look for Sign of Bever but found none
tuesday 5th march 1822
We moved down the River to the first High point of Rocks on the East
[north] Side at the Head of the large vally and about one mile below
Where We killed the Hors—Some Snow fell last night the Weather Cold the
River Is yet frosen up Close Except a few Springs in the River bank Which
keeps it oppen a few feet—High Wind last night—
Wensday 6th march 1822
Sot Some traps—Taylor Came In late at night Reports that Some Indeans are
Camped about Eight miles below us on the River
thorsday 7th march 1822
Taylor purposes going to the Indeans Camp I gave Him Some tobaco for
that purpose—He Went to the Indeans Robert my Self and Pall Road out the
mountains and on our Return We See a nomber of Indeans at Camp Which We
Cold See at Some distance from the point of one of the mountains and not
noing what Indeans the Ware we vewed them about Half an Hour—the then
moved off from our Camp and We Came In—Wheare We found taylor—tho the
Indeans Had Stolen two Buffelow Roabs Some lead and two knives—and Ware
of the utaws nation [Utes] Which Roame about and live In the mountains
Without Haveing any Settled Home and live alltogether on the Chase
Raising no grain—Slover With His party Pased up the River this day—
Friday 8th march 1822
We Remain at the Same Camp—Caught one Bever and one aughter [otter]
Ward and duglass Came to our Camp from touse [Taos]—and State that the
Spanierds Have Sent 700 men against the nabeho [Navajo] Indeans—and of a
battle being faught between Spanierds and the Panie Indeans East of the
mountains
Satterday 9th march 1822
Ward and Duglass Set out for vanbebers Camp—In the Evening two Spanierds
Came to Camp—Hard frost last night
Sunday 10th march 1822
Went up the River above the forkes to kill meet the two Spanierds With us—
monday 11th march 1822
We Hunted till 12 oclock for Elk but found none—We Continued up the north
[fork] about Eight miles Heare the mountains Close in on both Sides So
that our Pasege Was Defequal and the River turning to the West—We maid
ten miles and Camped With Slover and vanbeber Partey the Have all meet
Heare together—the Have killed two Elk Nᵒ 8 miles—West 2 miles[114]
tusday 12th march 1822