ted them into their houses to eat; and, in every place
where they halted, there was a contest who should be their hosts. Those
that had suffered by having their limbs frozen, were conducted home by
old men, who caused their daughters to dress the sores, and to provide
for them victuals and drink; and, at night, they gave them the best bed
in the house.

In the evening of the 3d of March, Mr. Pike reached _Santa Fe_. This
city, the capital of New Mexico, is situated along the banks of a small
creek, which issues from the mountains, and runs westward to the Rio
del Norte. It is about a mile in length, and not more than three
streets in width. The houses are, generally, only one story high, and
have flat roofs. There are, in Santa Fe, two churches, the magnificence
of whose steeples forms an extraordinary contrast to the miserable
appearance of the other buildings. On the north side of the town is a
square, constructed for soldiers' houses, each flank of which contains
from a hundred and twenty to a hundred and forty. The public square is
in the centre of the town. On one side of it is the palace or
government-house, with the quarters for the guards; and the other sides
are occupied by the houses of the clergy, and public officers. Most of
the houses have sheds before them, which occasion the streets to be very
narrow. The number of inhabitants in Santa Fe, is supposed to be about
four thousand five hundred.

On Mr. Pike and his men entering this town, the crowd assembled to view
them was excessively great: and, indeed, their extremely miserable
appearance seems to have excited much curiosity. This may easily be
accounted for. After they had left the Arkansaw, they had been obliged
to carry all their baggage on their backs; and, consequently, the useful
were preferred to the ornamental articles. The ammunition, tools,
leather-leggings, boots, and moccasins, had been considered absolutely
requisite. They had left behind their uniform clothing; and, when they
entered Santa Fe, Mr. Pike was dressed in a pair of blue trowsers,
moccasins, a blanket-coat, and a red cap. His men had leggings, cloths
round their waists, and leather coats: there was not a hat among the
whole party. This appearance was extremely mortifying to them all,
especially as soldiers; and it made no very favourable impression on the
people of Santa Fe. They were asked, by many of the common people,
whether they had lived in houses, or in camps, like the Ind