Note II'-31 — Chapter II · ITINERARY, CONTINUED: THROUGH OLD MEXICO, IN CHIHUAHUA, DURANGO, AND COAHUILA, TO THE PRESIDIO GRANDE, MARCH 22D-MAY 31ST, 1807.

The text is contradictory concerning mileage, and ambiguous in the matter of the road which came in. The place whence water was drawn is that legended "Well of Mineral Water" on Pike's map. I am not sure that this is El Pozo of various maps and itineraries before me, called "Pozzo" on the most modern ones; but am inclined to think it is. Pozo is a well-known place where the railroad now crosses a highway, and whence there is a regular road S. W. to Alamos de Parras, and another S. E. to Parras itself. Under date of May 13th, 1847, Wislizenus has, Mem. p. 71: "We travelled to-day 25 miles from San Juan to el Pozo. The road was more gravelly than sandy, at first quite level, afterwards slightly ascending. A few miles to our right a steep mountain chain was running parallel with our road; to the left rose more distant mountains.... About half way we passed by a deserted rancho, 'Refugio,' with a well. Near El Pozo the valley becomes narrower." Dr. W. describes a fight with Lipan Indians which had occurred at Pozo two days before, and continues, p. 72: "El Pozo (the well) is a hacienda, belonging to Don Manuel de Ibarra, and consists of but one large building, in which many families live. The place is distinguished for its ingenious water-works. It consists of a deep and very spacious well, from which the water is drawn by mule power in the following way: Over a large wheel in the upper part of the well a strong and broad band of leather is stretched, moving around with the wheel; to the band, in regular distances, many buckets of leather are attached, which, by the equal circular motion of the wheel and the band, are descending on one side of the well, and fill themselves with water, while they are drawn up on the other side, and, emptying their water into a basin, return again to the well. To receive the drawn water, two large basins of stone, about 40 feet wide and 100 feet long, have been made, and on the outside of the basins runs a long line of troughs, all of stone, for the watering of the animals.... The same Indians which our men fought here, the Lipans, used to frequent this well very freely, and carried their impudence even so far that they notified the Mexicans at what time they wanted to have the basins full, and the Mexicans did not dare to disobey. Although the idea of this water-wheel is by no means a new one, it is certainly very simply and well executed, and the more gratifying to the traveller, as this is the only watering place between San Juan and Parras, a distance of about 50 miles."