A MYSTERIOUS RIVER. 79 
After leaving El Paso, our road branched 
off at an angle of about two points to the 
westward of the river, the city of Chihuahua 
being situated nearly a hundred miles to the 
west of it. At the distance of about thirty 
miles we reached Los Médanos, a stupendous 
ledge of sand-hills, across which the road 
passes for about six miles. As teams are 
never able to haul the loaded wagons over 
this region of loose sand, we engaged an atajo 
of mules at El Paso, upon which to convey 
our goods across. These Médanos consist of 
huge hillocks and ridges of pure sand, in 
many places without a vestige of vegetation. 
Through the lowest gaps between the hills, the 
road winds its way. 
What renders this portion of the route still 
more unpleasant and fatiguing, is the great 
scarcity of water. All that is to be found on the 
road for the distance of more than sixty miles 
after leaving El Paso, consists in two fetid 
springs or pools, whose water is only rendered 
tolerable bynecessity. A little further on, how- 
ever, we very unexpectedly encountered, this 
time, quite a superabundance of this neces- 
sary element. Just as we passed Lake Patos, 
we were struck with astonishment at finding 
the road ahead of us literally overflowed by 
an immense body of water, with a brisk cur- 
rent, as if some great river had suddenly been 
conjured into existence by the aid of super- 
natural arts. A considerable time elapsed 
before we could unravel the mystery. At last 
we discovered that a freshet had lately occur- 
