groves of small pines which are many miles in extent. In such places
the ground is sandy and the vegetation poor in the extreme. It has
proved an exceedingly difficult problem, for more than one mind, to
solve the reason why the capital of the Territory should have been
located in such a barren section of the country. Perhaps it was
because this was the most central spot that could be selected,
although such a reason can hardly be offered in sober earnestness. The
most charitable reasoning which we can offer for it, is because the
Mexicans knew no better. It is true there are valuable silver mines
near by; but this could only cause a town to be raised to suit the
miners and not to form the attraction where the _élite_ of New Mexican
society should for so many years congregate.

Santa Fé is located on a plateau of ground which is about seven
thousand feet above the level of the sea. The town itself contains
about five or six thousand inhabitants which includes all races. It
is built of _adobes_, or sun-burnt brick, and occupies both sides of
a small stream which is called the _Rio Chicito_ and which flows into
the Rio Grande nearly twenty miles from the town. The site of Santa
Fé is low when compared with the altitude of the surrounding country,
being bounded on nearly all sides by lofty mountains. One of these
mountains is quite famous. It is the loftiest of all in that section
of country, and is capped during the greater part of the year with
snow. As is invariably the case with the large majority of Mexican
towns, there is but little regularity in the streets of Santa Fé; but
yet, the plaza is easily reached by several avenues. Santa Fé forms
the grand commercial emporium of the great interior continent of North
America; and its trade diverges to every point of the compass. The
extent of this trade can be realized when we assert the fact that with
the State of Missouri alone it amounts annually to several millions of