i6o Audubon's Western Journal 



from eighteen to twenty inches deep, with very 

 deep holes in places. The bottom is shifting quick- 

 sand, delightfully varied with drift logs, put 

 exactly where they can best trip up the mules; as 

 the water is like that of the Mississippi, below St. 

 Louis, you never see the logs until you are over 

 them. 



We look and long for Gila trout, and wild-fowl, 

 but in vain. I shot two blue-wings and one of our 

 men caught two little trout. Our road is garnished 

 almost every league, with dead cattle, horses or 

 oxen ; and wagons, log chains, and many valuable 

 things are left at almost every camping ground by 

 the travellers; we ourselves have had to do the 

 same, to relieve our worn and jaded mules, able 

 now to carry only about a hundred pounds. Our 

 personal efifects amount to about one change each, 

 with our ammunition and arms, all else discarded 

 or used up or stolen. 



Opposite our camp about three miles from us, 

 is a hot spring of beautifully clear water; it is so 

 hot as to just be bearable (we have now no ther- 

 mometer) and is tasteless. 



Night far on the prairie is always solemn, but 

 when in a doubtful country, where one is uncertain 

 as to the friendliness of the Indians, our watch 

 became one of silence and caution. We saw a 

 long line of regularly placed fires burn up, and, 

 hour after hour, could see them flare up, as fresh 



