TUCSON — SAN JAVIER — TUB AC — TOMOCACOEI — SOPORI — ARIBACA. 119 



as there is little or no permanent water in tlie neighborhood of or along the "whole length of 

 this line of two hundred and thirty -seven miles. 



Whilst the work was progressing, Lieut. Patterson moved with the escort and train from 

 Tucson, via Tubac and Sopori, to Aribaca. Ojo del Agua de Sopori is a spring, twelve 

 miles from Tubac, in a westerly direction ; it once irrigated the valley of the same name, which 

 was cultivated by Mexicans. We found a solitary peach tree, loaded with fruit, and 

 signs of aceo[uias, relics of other days. The stream is a small and pretty one. A league from 

 it, in the Sierra Atascosa, rich mines of copper, silver, and gold, are said to exist. Its mineral 

 resources have not yet been thoroughly examined, on account of the Apache Indians. Only 

 the night before reaching ^^Sopori,'' a large party of them passed witJiin a short distance of our 

 camp, driving before them a drove of liorses and mules. Within a day's ride of Tubac, tlirough 

 tlie " Sonora Pass," they have large herds of these, together with cattle and milch cows. 



Eighteen miles and a half from " Sopori" (an Indian name) you reach a deserted Mexican 

 rancho, in the valley of Aribaca ; the latter is narrow, lying east and west, and bounded by 

 high granite hills, limited on the east by the Sierra del Pais. These are all said to be rich in 

 mineral ^vealth. Within four miles, and south of the deserted rancho, are to be found large 

 excavations made by men previously engaged in mining ; piles of metallic ore lay near the 

 springs where tbey had been engaged in smelting. 



The valley was mantled with rich green pasturage; immediately bordering it are hills 

 covered with fine grama grass and a low growth of mezquite. Numerous springs lie con- 

 cealed among the tule, with here and there a willow or a cotton-wood to mark their localities. 

 A mule trail runs south from this place to Tubutaraa, a small town in Sonora, crossing the line 

 about thirteen miles from Aribaca, and within four miles of the ''Ojos Escondidos," lying at the 

 base of the sierra of that name. To the northwest is a range of mountains crowned with a 

 high peak of solid rock, called by the Papago Indians " Baboquivari," 



Water 



Mo 



and ice, although at its base lies the " Tierra 

 Caliente." It is a most prominent and unmistakeable land-mark, and during the triangulation 

 of the line was of the greatest service, as it could be seen from different points more than one 



bundred miles apart. 



The main escort and train remained in camp at Aribaca until near the middle of August. A 

 few men, under Mr. C. Michler, were sent west to Sonoyta with supplies to re-provision the party 

 on the line, and to make a reconnoissance of the road made by the wagons from Tubac to that 

 place. Lieutenant Closson, with twelve men, formed their escort. 



Mr 



Quitobaquit 



position, according to agreement entered into with the United States commissioner. 



The sierras to the west were reported to be detached, and not continuous, so that, by winding 

 around their bases, a good, although circuitous wagon road might be found ; between them are 

 generally broad and level valleys. The heavy rains in that direction offered great hopes of an 



abundance of water on the road. 



Having shown the movements of the different parties, I return to the party on the line. This 



was necessarily very small on account of the anticipated scarcity of water. To reduce as much 

 as possible the size of the pack-train, there were no more men employed than were absolutely 

 necessary to do the work, without any regard to protection or defence against the Indians. 



Leaving the " Potrero" in the valley of Los Kogales, where my party had been encamped 

 for a few days, we started for the monument at the intersection of the parallel 31° 20', and the 



