72 Ex. Doc. No. 41. 



cated pyramid standing on its smallest Vase. It appeared so nicely- 

 balanced, a feather might have overthrown it. A well levelled seat 

 of large slabs of red .ferruginous sand-stone altered by heat indi- 

 cated we were not on untrodden ground. It was the watch-tower 

 of the Apache; from it he could track the valley* of the Gila beyond 

 the base .of Mount Graham, 



At the point where we left the Gila, there stands a cactus six 

 feet in circumference, and so high I could not reach half way to 

 the top of it with the point of my sabre. by many feet; and a short 

 distance up the ravine is a grove of these or pitahaya, much larger 

 than the one I measured, and with large branches. These plants 



bear 



M 



^' They are without leaves, the fruit growing to the boughs. The 

 fruit resembles the burr of a chesnut and is full of prickles, but the 

 pulp resembles that of the fig, only more soft and luscious." In 

 some it is white, in some red, and in. others yellow, but always of 



exquisite taste. 



A new shrub bearing a delicious nutritious nut and in sufficient 

 abundance to form an article of food for the Apaches.^ Mezcal and 

 the fruit of the agave Americana, and for the first time arctosta- 

 phylos pungens. ^Two or three new shrubs and flowers. 



The formation near the mouth of the San Francisco is diluvion, 

 overlaying a coarse grained highly calcareous sand-stone and lime- 

 stone. The mountains were chiefly of granite with red feldspar, 

 and near o^ur camp was discernible a stratum of very compact argil- 

 laceous lime-stone, dipping nearly Vertically to the west. 



Jfoveuiher 2. — ^The call to water sounded long before day-hgl^t, 

 and we ate breakfast by the light of the moon; the thermometer at 

 25"^. As day dawned we looked anxiously for the howitzers, which 

 were beginning to impede our progress very much. My camp ^vas 

 pitched on the opposite side of a ravine some distance apart from 



■flTo mnir\ T'Omn tVir* V.nrc^c ii^nro rrr-n'rinnr ATI tVlfi hill <;lflp still beVOni 



uch alarmed 



off 



and out of sight. We were quietly waiting for further 

 our two Mexican herdsmen came running into camp n 

 and without their arms, exclaiming:' *' The Indians are driving 

 the mules. "To arms" was shouted, and before I could loosen a 

 pistol from the holster my little party were in full run to the scene 

 of alarm, each with his- rifle. On turning the hill we found the 

 horses tranquilly grazing, but the hill overlooking <hem was hnet 

 with horsemen. As we advanced, one of the number hailed, us i^ 

 Spanish, saying he wished to have " a talk." 



They were Apaches, and it ha-d been for some time our earnest 

 desire to trade with them, and hitherto we had been unsuccessinh 

 " One of you put down your rifle and come, to us," said the Span- 

 ish-tongued Indian. , Londeau, my employe before-mentioned, i^" 

 jOQediately complied, I followed; but before reaching half-way up 

 the steep hill, the Indian espied in my jacket the handle of a large 

 horse pistol. He told me I must put down my pistol before h* 

 would meet me. I threw it aside-and proceeded to the top of the 

 hill, where, although he was mounted and surrounded by six ot 

 eight of his own men armed with rifles and arrows, he received ca^ 



s 



