THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 305 



cross over it by ascending gradually through an open prairie, which can 

 easily be seen from the place where we left the road below Quarra. 



The stone that crops out at Las Aguachas is a remarkably fine sand- 

 stone, suitable for grindstones and whetstones. The best is at the 

 upper end of the ravine where the last pool of water would be found 

 in the wet season. 



When we reached this point it was nearly night. A cold piercing; 

 wind was blowing, and it was yet some miles to the place where we 

 hoped to find water. The wagons were some two or three miles 

 behind; Major Carleton pushed on with the squadron, having Fry for a 

 guide, to find the pond before dark ; leaving Lieutenant Sturgis with 

 twelve men at Las Aguachas, to wait for the wagons, and then follow 

 with them on the trail. The Mexican guide stayed with the lieutenant, 

 that he might track the squadron after night should set in. After travel- 

 ling a little over five miles, the squadron arrived at the water. It was 

 found in a deep hollow in the open prairie. The pond is not over 

 eighty or one hundred yards in diameter, and might easily be missed 

 afi:er dark even by one acquainted with its locality. The water is 

 fresh and sweet. This pond is nearly a mile from timber. It lies 

 immediate^ off against the mouth of a pass through the Mesa de los 

 Tumanes, and is known to the shepherds as JLa Laguna de la Puerta, 

 the Lake of the Pass. Here we made holes in the ice, and, having 

 watered all the horses, moved up into the pass, where we found wood 

 in abundance, and very good protection from the cold wind. We soon 

 had large fires burning, which served as a beacon to the lieutenant, 

 who was behind bringing up the wagons. Shortly after dark he arrived. 

 One of the wagons was immediately unloaded and sent with the water- 

 kegs to the lake; the men taking lanterns to see to get the water through 

 the ice. By ten o'clock at night our horses were groomed and fed, 

 the men had had their suppers, and large piles of pinon wood were 

 blazing the whole length of the camp, giving it a cheerful and pictu- 

 resque appearance. 



This camp is twentj'-five miles and 90 3rards from Manzana. 



Tuesday, December 20, 1853. 

 As we knew it would be quite impossible to march to Gran Quivira 

 and make the necessary observations there and back to the laguna in 

 one day, it w^as decided to rest this forenoon, and to fill the kegs and 

 India rubber water-tanks with water, and then to march to the ruins in 

 the afternoon ; to encamp near them to-night; to employ the forenoon 

 of to-morrow in their examination ; and then to return to-morrow even- 

 ing to this place. In this way our animals would not be without wate 

 more than a day and a half We accordingly broke up our camp 

 about half-past twelve o'clock. After we had filled our kegs and 

 tanks at the laguna, we ascended a high ridge for a mile or more, when 

 our guide pointed out to us what he said was the great church or cathe- 

 dral, at Gran Quivira. It was in an air line all of thirteen miles dis- 

 tant, and yet we could see it distinctly with the naked eye. We could 

 have seen it easily when five or six miles further off, had there been no 

 obstruction to the view ; a proof of the remarkable clearness of the 

 atmosphere in this elevated region. It lies S. 5° E by the corn- 

 Mis. Doc. 24 20 



