Through Arizona to San Diego 157 



exposed, can be called dressed; their hair is cut 

 square across the forehead, and worn not very long. 



We found some weed in the grass here very 

 injurious to our horses and mules. I lost my mare 

 here. Weed lost his, and nearly all ran down, so 

 as to be scarcely fit for use. Having now four men 

 without mounts, I was persuaded to buy a wagon 

 and harness complete, as I could get one for tw^enty- 

 five dollars. 



The river bottom here forms a great flat, which 

 was, I think, once irrigated; at all events, it is cut 

 up by a great many lagoons, nearly all muddy, but 

 the water is not so salt in those that do not run, as 

 to be undrinkable; in some places the water is so 

 impregnated that as the water evaporates, a cake 

 of pure salt is deposited, and the Indians on being 

 asked for it, brought us five or six pounds in a 

 lump. It was pure white when broken, but on the 

 surface a sediment covered it. The country is 

 nearly flat, and on the light sandy soil there is 

 found grass, in some places very sparse and thin, 

 and in the others pretty good. No water but rain 

 water, and that at long distances apart. We find 

 on the few hills the columnar cactus in great abun- 

 dance, a great many of the same class of plants as 

 on the Rio Grande, and convolvuli without num- 

 ber; they seem to live on dew. The soil of the 

 hills is rocky, and indeed, sometimes for miles, 

 chalky limestone takes the place of rock entirely. 



