Note I'-28 — Chapter I · ITINERARY: THROUGH NEW MEXICO ON THE RIO GRANDE TO EL PASO, FEB. 27TH-MAR. 21ST, 1807.

Not 26 m. after crossing the river, but from last camp, from which it is about 26 m. to make the crossing. In this trip Pike turns the W. and S. flank of the Sierra de los Caballos or Horse mts., having these first E. and then N. of his route (on his left all the way). In so doing he passes from Sierra into Dona Ana Co., and goes by a number of notable points, some of which he maps. On the W. side of the river, in Dona Ana Co., at or near present Santa Barbara, was the site of old Fort Thorn and the old Indian Agency; Beck's ferry was also hereabouts. Pike sets four mountains on his right, at different distances to the W. and S. These are lettered (1) "Esterolargo," (2) "S. Jacomb," (3) "La Salmera," (4) "Piadro." These are some of the most elevated points in the rugged and irregularly broken country to the south of the Horse and Mimbres ranges; and their relative positions as mapped by Pike agree so well with those of certain well-known elevations that identifications may be attempted: (1) Esterolargo seems to correspond to the Cerro Magdalen, between Fort Selden on the E. and old Fort Cummings on the W. (2) is in the position of the Good Sight mts., about half-way between the Magdalens and Fort Cummings. A branch of the A., T., and S. F. R. R., from Rincon on the Rio Grande to Deming, runs past the Magdalens (station Sellers) and thence through the Good Sight mts. by Burr's Pass (station Nutt), between Good Sight Peak and Sunday Cone. Fort Cummings was built in that southern extension of the Mimbres range known as Cooke's range: leave railroad for the fort at Cummings station, or keep on past Coleman to Deming, etc. (3) is Cerro Robledo, on W. bank of the Rio Grande, immediately S. of Fort Selden. (4) may be intended for the Florida mts., on the boundary between Dona Ana and Grant cos., directly S. of Fort Cummings 20 and 30 m., not so far S. E. of Deming. Pike crosses the Rio Grande from W. to E., at or near where the railroad now crosses in passing between stations Hatch (Colorado) and Rincon; camp at this place or in its immediate vicinity, about opposite town of Angostura.

The practically identical language of Mar. 17th and 18th shows that Pike has duplicated an entry, and consequently that one day's march has been lost. This loss is irretrievable, so far as I can discover. Furthermore, we have no mileages for the 19th and 20th. Under these circumstances the best we can do is to march him into El Paso in three laps, set three camps ex hypothesi, and note in due order the places on the road over which we know he passed.