Through Arizona to San Diego 165 



tions at the junction of the Gila and Colorado 

 rivers, was very kind to me, and this evening Col. 

 Thorn came up with us; we had been expecting 

 this for some time. Col. Collins [Collier], the 

 collector from San Francisco treated us with great 

 courtesy, and I shall reluctantly bid these gentlemen 

 good-bye, and start across the desert with forty- 

 six men half mounted, one quarter the rations we 

 should have had, mules jaded, but the men, thank 

 God, all in good health. 



October IJth. We went only two miles to our 

 first camp, but today came twelve up the river, 

 through a cotton-wood bottom; on the road we 

 heard that Captain Thorn had been drowned. 

 The canoe in which he was making his last trip, 

 was capsized, and one of the Mexicans, who could 

 not swim, seized him in such a manner that he 

 could not shake him off, nor hold him so as to save 

 him, and they went down together. So ends the 

 life of an officer of distinction, whose quiet, gentle- 

 manly manner won from me my admiration and 

 good-fellowship during the few hours of inter- 

 course we had enjoyed. 



We passed one or two Indian huts, all Yumas; 



they were scarcely friendly, and our trading was 



very limited. I saw three about to cross the river, 



manded by Mr. Audubon, the younger, naturalist; Lieutenant 



Browning, of the navy; Mr. Langdon Haven, and a son of 



Commodore Sloat, were with this party, which was suffering 



for the want of provisions." 

 11 



