SIERRAS ALONG THE AZDICTH LINF. 121 



A few feet soutliof the line is a prominent peak of the '' Sierra de Sonora/' winch serves as a 

 good natural object to mark it. A league from it are ^^Los Ojos dcGranizo/' (Springs of Hail;) 

 their position is indicated by Monimient XVI, erected on a hill two hundred metres to the north 

 of them, as well as by some few willow and other trees. The soil is very rich in their neigh- 

 borhood; the vegetation is profuse, and there is an abundance of fine grama grass; live-oak, 

 and occasionally cedar, are seen on the hills. Whilst encamped here, heavy storms of wind, 

 hail, and rain, were experienced; the valley where the party lay was so quickly flooded as to 

 endanger all the camp equipage, as well as instruments ; tents were blown down, and many 

 articles carried aw^ay by the hurricane. Notw^ithstanding the inconvenience attending them, 

 the rains were welcome, as they refreshed and cooled the atmosphere, which was oftentimes 

 heated to 110° Fahrenheit. Some strange specimens of natural history were found at this 

 place ; among them, what is called by the Mexicans '^El Scorpion,'' a large, slothful lizard, 

 in shape a miniature alligator, marked with red, black, and white belts— a hideous-looking 

 animal. The alicante and coralilla snakes were also caught, and added to the collection of 

 natural history. 



Leaving Los Ojos de Granizo, our trail lay over a Avide and rich valley, running north and 

 south, and extending along the east base of the '' Sierra Babuquivari.'' Crossing it, brings 

 you to the base of ^' Sierra del Pozo Verde,'' on which is erected Monument XV, a little more 

 than nine miles from XVI. A trail leads round its southern extremity to Agua del Tozo Verde, 

 (Green Well,) lying at the foot of the western slope, a little east of south, and about two miles 

 distant from the monument. Permanent water is found here ; and, although a large number 

 of animals soon exhaust it, still it fills up in a very few hours. This is the site of an old 

 rancheria of the Papago Indians. Numerous ^^metates" for grinding corn are lying about. 

 The grave of one of their chiefs, who had been killed by the Apaches, was found near camp. 

 A thousand arrows w^ere buried with him, placed there as a token that his death would be 

 avenged by his tribe. The Indians respect these graves, and the deadly threats -which they 

 contain^ and will not remove a single arrow from the number, although it is a warning of hate 

 and hostility. 



The ^' Sierra del Pozo Verde" is yqtj high, and overlooks wide valleys east and w^est of it. 

 It is of granitic formation, and covered w^ith a rich growth of grass, and plants of various 

 kinds. The suwarrow grows on it in abundance ; also the Fonquiera and many varieties of 

 cacti, bearing beautiful flowers. The fruit of the suwarrow is delightful ; it is shaped 

 like the pomegranate, and when opened, presents the same beautiful carnation red; the seeds 

 are very small and numerous, and of a black color ; only the pulp and seeds are eaten. The 

 Pimos and Papagos use it for food ; also a small white cactus, which just peeps above the 

 ground. Many, antelope were seen about this place. The glare of our fires attracted a large 

 number of rattlesnakes ; the whole place seemed infested with them. "We judged them to be 

 a new species from their tiger-colored skins ; they were exceedingly fierce and venomous. On 

 the deserts of the Colorado we had often seen others with horns, or small protuberances above 

 the eyes ; and Dr. Abbott had taken from the body of still another species quite a number of 

 small ones, among which was a monstrosity with two perfectly formed heads attached to one 

 neck. CWhen you lie down on your blankets, stretched on the ground, you know not what strange 

 bedfellow you may have when you awake in the morning.") My servant insisted upon encircling 

 my bed with a reata of horse-hair to protect me from their intrusions. Snakes are said to 

 have a perfect repugnance to being pricked by the extremities of the hair. The paisano, or 



Vol. I 16 



