Visit to the Mining Town of Jesus-Maria -- Critical Roads -- Character of the Town -- Losing Speculations -- Mine of Santa Juliana -- Curious mining Operations -- Different Modes of working the Ore -- The Crushing-mill, etc. -- _Barras de Plata_ -- Value of Bullion -- The Silver Trade -- Return to Chihuahua -- Resumption of the regular Narrative -- Curious Wholesales -- Money Table -- Redundancy of Copper Coin -- City of Chihuahua and its Peculiarities -- Ecclesiastical Architecture -- Hidalgo and his Monument -- Public Works, and their present Declension -- _Fête_ in honor of Iturbide -- Illiberality towards Americans -- Shopping Mania -- Anti-Masonic _Auto de Fe_, 178 CHAPTER XXIII {VII of Vol. II} Departure for Santa Fé -- Straitened for Food -- Summary Effort to procure Beef -- Seizure of one of our Party -- Altercation with a _Rico_ -- His pusillanimous Procedure -- Great Preparations in Chihuahua for our Arrest -- Arrival of Mexican Troops -- A polite Officer -- Myself with three of my Men summoned back to Chihuahua -- Amiable Conduct of Señor Artalejo -- _Junta_ _Departmental_ and Discussion of my Affair -- Writ of _Habeas Corpus_ not in vogue -- The Matter adjusted and Passports granted -- The _Morale_ -- Impunity of savage Depredations -- Final Start -- Company of _Paseños_ with their Fruits and Liquors -- Arrival at Santa Fé, 193 CHAPTER XXIV {VIII of Vol. II} Preparations for returning Home -- Breaking out of the Small-pox -- The Start -- Our Caravan -- Manuel the Comanche -- A new Route -- The Prairie on Fire -- Danger to be apprehended from these Conflagrations -- A Comanche Buffalo-chase -- A Skirmish with the Pawnees -- An intrepid Mexican -- The Wounded -- Value of a thick Skull -- Retreat of the Enemy and their Failure -- A bleak Northwester -- Loss of our Sheep -- The Llano Estacado and Sources of Red River -- The Canadian River -- Cruelties upon Buffalo -- Feats at 'Still Hunting' -- Mr. Wethered's Adventure -- Once more on our own Soil -- The False Washita -- Enter our former Trail -- Character of the Country over which we had travelled -- Arrival at Van Buren -- The two Routes to Santa Fé -- Some Advantages of that from Arkansas -- Restlessness of Prairie Travellers in civilized Life, and Propensity for returning to the Wild Deserts, 203 CHAPTER XXV {IX of Vol. II} CONCLUSION OF THE SANTA FE TRADE