Across the Mexican Mountains 139 



August 22d. Ures. Three days' travel over a 

 prairie sometimes covered with chaparral, and 

 sometimes with grass brought us here. We are 

 greatly disappointed; Ures, the capital of Sonora, 

 with its Governor and military. Alcalde and court, 

 is an adobe village of about four thousand Indians, 

 and still they have power, and the Alcalde proved 

 himself a man of considerable ability. 



Coming down the mountains to the Rio Yaqui, 

 we left coolness for heat. First we saw Turkey 

 Buzzards, and lower down the Carrion Crow; still 

 farther down we came to the table prairies and 

 there were the Carra Carra Eagles^ in great num- 

 bers; sometimes we saw fifty in a day, so that birds 

 mark the altitude. The mocking-bird, raven and 

 jay of the mountains are with us no more. I have 

 found the plumed partridge plentiful, one with a 

 black breast and guinea-fowl spots ; but they are 

 less numerous here and I fear will soon be seen no 

 more. We are told gold abounds in the surround- 

 ing mountains, but the Apaches are so bad that it 

 cannot be secured; however, the exaggerations of 

 these people are so amazing, that we do not believe 

 their tales; if we did it would be useless to leave 



^ The Caracara or Brazilian Eagle is described in Audubon's 

 Birds of Jmerica^ eA. 1840, vol. i, p. 21. It was found in 

 Florida by Audubon but so rarely occurs in the United States 

 that it is not included in the "A. O. U. Check List of North 

 American Birds." The name is derived from the hoarse cry 

 that it utters. 



