ed over in silence.

All things being in readiness, the command entered upon the pursuit
of the Indians. They marched from Taos, ten miles north, to a stream
called the Arroya Hondo. Thence, following the banks of this stream
down through its deep and rocky canon, they came to the Rio del Norte.

On the first-named stream, there is a small and unattractive
settlement, which bears the same name. Several years since, there was
a large distillery in full operation at this place. This establishment
was owned by an American, and was very extensive. The building was
celebrated as being the place where several Americans were slaughtered
by the Mexicans during the revolution, in which Governor Bent lost his
life, heretofore spoken of. On the plain which is contiguous with the
south bank of the Arroya Hondo, there are to be found the remains of
a large Aztec town, which was, at some remote period, the largest
settlement inhabited by that interesting people to be found in
northern New Mexico. At the present day, can be seen the size and
almost the number of houses which formed the town--which are very
numerous. The building material, as here used by the Aztecs, was small
cobble-stones which undoubtedly were mixed with mud and thus formed
the structure. Pieces of pottery, flint arrow-points; stone pipe and
rude tools have been, from time to time, found on the site of the
town, going to prove that the people were not wandering in their
habits, but that instead, they occupied their time in farming, raising
cattle and mining. The wild Indians may have murdered the inhabitants,
and then destroyed the town; or, civil war and pestilence might have
caused it to become deserted, when, as a natural result, it fell to
decay. The most plausible theory to entertain is the former, as every
old Mexican town of the north contains relics which could not have
been designed merely in case of an emergency. Not one of these towns
in olden times was without a large well, which, in most instances,
was bountifully supplied with water. In time of peace, these extensive
reservoirs were covered over and concealed from view, and therefore,
but few strangers could be made aware of their existence. On the
breaking out of war, these wells were thrown open for public use, and,
being located in the centre of the towns, the inhabitants escaped that
danger in procuring water which necessarily would have surrounded them
in case they had been obliged, as they are n