I04 Audubon's Western Journal 



We are, comparatively speaking, camped in a 

 paradise, for we have pollarded cotton-w^oods to 

 give us shade, a dashing little brook, and an aviary 

 of birds to enliven or calm, to cheer and encourage 

 us, and are in real enjoyment of rest from fatigue 

 and pain, all but my thigh, which is very painful 

 from the presence of a large boil. 



June 20th. Parral. So far our prospects ahead 

 are good, and we have determined not to take the 

 Chihuahua route, but the mountain one from this 

 to Jesus Maria, and so on, as we are informed from 

 the best authorities that we can go that way without 

 suffering from want of water or food, and arrive at 

 the mouth of the Gila, not three hundred miles 

 upstream. We are told of both routes by those 

 who have personally travelled them, and learn 

 that by taking to the mountains we shall be in pine 

 forests, and that deer and bear are frequently 

 found, so that we shall be able to have some 

 variety from the monotonous fare of no meat or 

 only tough beef, which we have had for three 

 months. 



All would have been well had we not encoun- 

 tered cholera, and lost that never-to-be-caught-up- 

 with time at Davis's rancho; and no party would 

 have beaten us over. We have passed the 

 Comanche country, and now have to be on our 

 guard against the Apaches. No one knows how 

 constantly I miss my dear friend Dr. Kearney in 



