The village of Xochimilco, New Spain
The sixteenth day of March, seventeen hundred and ninety

My dear cousin,

With great pain, I write to you to inform you that my adored mother died two months ago from the pox - that terrible plague which has undone so many people of mixed blood like her, and, above all, so many unfortunate Indians. Papa remains so deeply grieved that I am writing myself, on his behalf. My poor father says that we must abandon our village of Xochimilco to begin a new life in the north, in that other Mexico.

We hear that the trip will take six to eight months and that it is very dangerous. Can you tell me about some of the problems and dangers on the Camino Real? Here we must request permission from the village council to obtain a place for ourselves and our things on the wagon caravan which will leave the Capital, the city of Mexico, next spring. In New Mexico will it be necessary for us to obtain official permits each time we must travel outside our village?

During the next few months we shall be gathering preserved and dry foods and heavy clothing for the trip. We hope to take with us several oxen, a dozen churro sheep, and our five pigs. Papa will ride our only horse. Josefina, my little sister, and I will walk, herding our animals at the caravan's pace.

We know that life in the north is different from that in the valley of Mexico. We have heard that in New Mexico there is a great river which freezes in winter and that one can walk upon the ice. Here we hve a great, year-long variety of fruits and vegetables, things such as pineapples, bananas, avocados, sugar cane and cacao to make chocolate. These come to the great marketplaces of the Capital from the nearby tropical coasts. We also have many vegetables which are cultivated in our village and in neighboring ones. What are the food plants which grow in the fields near your village of the Tesuque River? Josefina and I are good farmers.

I am 15 years old and attend the school of Father Domínguez. We are learning to read and write, and we study arithmetic, logic and the catechism. Josefina works at home cooking, sewing, washing laundry, spinning wool and taking care of the animals. We both have great concerns about living so far from the Capital. The following questions will give you an idea of our preoccupations: Are there schools in your village or near by? Why is a presidio necessary if there is peace between the colonists and the Indians? Josefina, who will take along the silk wedding dress which as worn by both our mother and grandmother when they each married, worries about finding a nice young man to marry. What opportunities are available to become acquainted with the neighbors? My father, who is a carpenter, is teaching me his craft. What sorts of work or employment exist there? What is your house like, and will there be temporary room for us? When you answer this letter, (soon, I hope, since your letter will take a long time to get here,) please tell me about the Royal Houses and the presidio of Santa Fe.

With all the affection of your cousin,

Felipe Luis Ramírez Gonzáles