308 ON THE FEONTIEE. 



deciding. The major portion of the surface of the lava 

 beds was quite bare, with a glazed vitrified gloss upon it, 

 and was in great, roundish boils. Every hollow and de- 

 pression in it had from a few inches to some feet of 

 decomposed lava mould, and in this mould flourished 

 luxuriantly the tuna plants, whose fruit was the object of 

 the Indians' search, varieties of the cereus candelaris, other 

 kinds of opuntas, and magueys. In the fissures were 

 several " tanks " natural water-holes supplied by the 

 accumulated filtration of the rainfall through the porous 

 lava. In the largest fissure the main artery of the system, 

 if I may so describe it there was quite a strong spring, 

 which formed a large pool, bordered by cottonwood trees, 

 sycamores, and willows. From the lower end of this pool 

 ran a small stream, which in the dry season soon lost itself 

 in the cracks of the bed-rock and accumulated sand ; but 

 in the wet one, became almost a torrent, and was one of 

 the wet weather upper feeders of the river, known as the 

 Salinas. 



At these several water-holes, the Apache-Yumayas were 

 undoubtedly encamped, and there was an exceeding proba- 

 bility that, close to the pool formed by the spring, the 

 chief had his headquarters ; for it was only there that water 

 was abundant, and the place had besides wood for fuel, and 

 was the natural rallying-point from all camps in the fissures 

 converging to it; and, excepting through them, was only 

 accessible by a very steep and narrow path down that side of 

 the fissure it was in, which was next to us. 



To ride out into the plain in daylight was not to be 

 thought of. Doing so would at once reveal our strength, 



