72 Audubon's Western Journal 



On my return to Davis's rancho, I saw poor Dr. 

 Kearney who had undertaken the medical charge 

 of the party; and I heard of the lives he had saved, 

 and hoped still to have his aid for our suffering 

 company. But the fatigue he had undergone was 

 too much for him, and the day following this he 

 was no more. He was buried at Camp Ringgold, 

 where he had been cared for by Dr. Campbell, 

 and nursed by his cousin, John K. Rodgers, one of 

 my friends, who was so debilitated that he was 

 obliged to return north. 



Having done all we could to recover our money 

 we left for Mier, via Roma, at the hottest hour of 

 the day, three o'clock, hoping to arrive before dark, 

 but after two hours stopped for shade and rest, for 

 the heat, owing to our debility, was insupportable; 

 at dusk we went on and reached Roma about eleven 

 at night. 



Roma, named after General Roman of Texan 

 celebrity, is situated on a sandstone bluff, perhaps 

 a hundred feet high, but like all the rest of the 

 country on this line, with no trees, only an inter- 

 minable chaparral of musquit, cactus (of three 

 species), an occasional aloe, maguay^ and wild 

 sage, at this season covered with its bluish-purple 

 flower, almost as delicate as the light green of the 

 leaf. With the exception of the large, coarse 



^ Maguey is the Spanish name for the century plant. 



