TIXAJAS— AGUA DULCE — QUITOBAQUITA— SONOTTA. 115 



brackish, Tvater can be had by digging) to an Indian village called Quitobaquita, fifty-four miles 

 from " Tule." Midway between these two places is a low mezquite flat called '' Las Playas," 

 containing charcos, or holes, which are filled during the rainy season with water. 



The second road from the junction, known by the name of the ''Cabeza Prieta" route, 

 from passing near '' Tinajas," in the mountain of that name, after continuing up the Gila 

 for forty miles, leaves it and joins the first at ^' Las Playas." At Quitobaquita there are fine 

 springs running for the greater part of the year. 



The road continues along the course of the subterraneous stream until you reach the Kancho 

 de Sonoyta, thirteen miles and a half further on. From the junction to within a short distance 

 of this place, a heavy road of one hundred and thirty miles, you look on a desert country. 

 Near Sonoyta it is well covered with mezquite timber ; in the valley, to the east of the town, 

 there is some salt grass; but to the west, as far as the Colorado, scarce a blade is to be seen. 

 A dull, wide waste lies before you, interspersed with low sierras and mounds, covered with 

 black igneous rocks. The soil is a mixture of sand and gravel ; the reflection from its white 

 surface adds still greater torment to the intense and ."scorching heat of the sun. Well do I 

 recollect the ride from Sonoyta to Fort Yuma and back, in the middle of August, 1855. It was 

 the most dreary and tiresome I have ever experienced. Imagination cannot picture a more 

 dreary, sterile country, and we named it the '' 3Ial Pais." The burnt lime-like appearance of 

 the soil is ever before you ; the very stones look like the scorire of a furnace ; there is no 



grass, 



scarce 



animal to be seen— not even the wolf or the hare to attract the attention, and, save the lizard and 

 the horned frog, naught to give life and animation to this region. The eye may watch in vain 

 for the flight of a bird; to add to all is the knowledge that there is not one drop of water to 

 be depended upon from Sonoyta to the Colorado or Gila. All traces of the road are sometimes 

 erased by the high winds sweeping the unstable soil before them, but death has strewn a con- 

 tinuous line of bleached bones and withered carcases of horses and cattle, as monuments to mark 

 the way. 



Although I travelled over it with only four men in the most favorable time, during the rainy 

 season of Sonora, our animals well rested and in good condition, still it was a difficult un- 

 dertaking. On our way to the post from Sonoyta we met many emigrants returning from Cali- 

 fornia, men and animals sufiering from scarcity of water. Some men had died from thirst, and 

 others were nearly exhausted. Among those we passed 



bet 



reenthe Colorado and the "Tinajas 

 Altas," was a party composed of one woman and three men, on foot, a pack-horse in wretched 

 condition carrying their all. The men had given up from pure exhaustion and laid down to die ; 

 but the woman, animated by love and sympathy, had plodded on over the long road until she 

 reached water, then clambering up the side of the mountain to the highest tinaja, she filled her 

 bota, (a sort of leather flask,) and scarcely stopping to take rest, started back to resuscitate her 

 dying companions. When we met them, she was striding along in advance of the men, ani- 

 mating them by her example. 



On our return we had to ride to the '' Tinajas Altas," forty-five miles, the first night to 

 reach water ; and the second one over sixty-three to ''Agua Dulce," where we managed to 

 obtain some by digging. During this time our poor mules plodded through the heavy sand 

 without rest or food. 



It was over this country one portion of the new boundary line was to be traced : the road 



