text:  We were travelling with a state and a degree of luxury that would have excited the contempt of our backwoodsmen; but in a strange country we thought it best to do as the natives did; and accordingly instead of mounting our horses and setting forth alone with our rifles slung over our shoulders and a few handfuls of parched corn and dried flesh in our hunting pouches we journeyed Mexican fashion with a whole string of mules a _topith_ or guide a couple of _arrieros_ or muleteers a cook and one or two other attendants