l clear."

On reaching the canyon, it was found to be true that the Mexican troops
had dispersed and fled to the mountains, just as the old Arapahoe chief
had said they would. There, however, they commenced to fortify, by
chopping away the timber so that their artillery could play to better
advantage upon the American lines, and by throwing up temporary
breastworks. It was ascertained afterward, on undoubted authority, that
Armijo had an army of nearly seven thousand Mexicans, with six pieces of
artillery, and the advantage of ground, yet he allowed General Kearney,
with a force of less than two thousand, to march through the almost
impregnable gorge, and on to the capital of the Province, without any
attempt to oppose him.

Thus was New Mexico conquered with but little loss relatively. For the
further details of the movements of the Army of the West, the reader is
referred to general history, as this book, necessarily, treats only
of that portion of its march and the incidents connected with it while
travelling the Santa Fe Trail.

CHAPTER VIII. THE VALLEY OF TAOS.

The principal settlement in New Mexico, immediately after it was
reconquered from the Indians by the Spaniards, was, of course, Santa
Fe, and ranking second to it, that of the beautiful Valle de Taos,
which derived its name from the Taosa Indians, a few of whose direct
descendants are still occupying a portion of the region. As the pioneers
in the trade with Santa Fe made their first journeys to the capital of
the Province by the circuitous route of the Taos valley, and the initial
consignments of goods from the Missouri were disposed of in the little
villages scattered along the road, the story of the Trail would be
deficient in its integrity were the thrilling historical facts connected
with the romantic region omitted.

The reader will find on all maps, from the earliest published to the
latest issued by the local railroads, a town with the name of Taos,
which never had an existence. Fernandez de Taos is the chief city,
which has been known so long by the title of the valley that perhaps the
misnomer is excusable after many years' use.

Fernandez, or Taos as it is called, was once famous for its distilleries
of whiskey, made out of the native wheat, a raw, fiery spirit, always
known in the days of the Santa Fe trade as "Taos lightning," which was
the most profitable article of barter with the Indians, who exchanged
their buffalo robes an