Ex. Doc. No. 41. • 89 



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he determined to remain for the day. Most of the mules "belonging 

 to my party have travelled ISOO miles, almost continuously. Two 

 or three times they have all appeared on the eve of death; but a 

 mule's vitality seems to recuperate, when life seems to be almost 

 extinct, so I am in hopes the day-'s rest will revive them sufficiently 

 to enable them to undertake what will be the most distressing part 

 of the journey. From information collected from the Indians and 

 others, it appears that we shall meet with ho more grass from this 

 spot to the settlements, estimated 300 miles distant. 



This has been a gloomy day in the dragoon camp. The Jornada 

 cost theii| six or eight mules, and those which have survived give 

 little promise of future service. The howitzers make severe 

 draughts on them. Yesterday, within five miles of the river. Lieu- 

 tenant Davidson was obliged to hitch his private mules to them. 

 An order has been given to-day to dismount one-half the command 

 and reserve the animals for packing. 



From all accounts there is no difficulty in following the route of 

 the river from camp 97 to this place, and the journey is but a trifle 

 longer; I would, therefore, recommend parties in our rear to get a 

 Coco Maricopa guide and keep the river. ' 



-Kemains of an old zequia, and the plains covered with broken 

 pottery. About us there are signs of modern Indian tenements, and 

 the zequia may possibly have been the work of their hands. We 

 know the Maricopas have moved gradually from the gulf of Cali- 

 fornia to their present location in juxta position with the Pimos. 

 Carson fouad them, so late as the year 1826, at the mouth of the 

 Toio' ^^^ ^^' Anderson, who passed from Sonora to California in 

 i^ 7^°^^^ thera, as near as'we could reckon from his notes, about 

 the place we are now encamped in. The shells found to-day were, 

 JJ?,"^y opinion, evidently brought by the Maricopas from the sea. 



OK ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^'°^^ ^^^ foilnd among the ruins. 

 YDserved for time to-night and obtained the rates of my chrono- 

 nieters; that of chronometer No. 783, 125. per day, showing a very 

 satisfactory consistency in rate since leaving the mountains. 

 , Jrovemher 16.-— The valley on the south side continues wide, 

 and shows continuously the marks of former cultivation. On the 

 Borth side the hills run close to the river. 



Atter making ten miles we came to a dry creek, coming from a 

 P'ain reaching far to the south, and then we mounted the table 

 anas to avoid a bend in the rirer, made by a low chain of black 

 w-f^ n^^^^S in from the southeast. The table land was strewed 

 •^^^-"^ginents of black basalt, interspersed with agate, chalcedony, 

 _ untied quartz, and carbonate of lime. About the summit was a 

 ^Jv " ^^ granite boulders, blackened by augite, and covered with 

 C6 "^^^^ characters; the work of human hands. These have been 

 pied. On the ground near by were also traces of some of the 

 tS^^^^ ^^o^ving some of the hieroglyphics, at least, to have been 

 a ^^T. of modern Indians. Others were of undoubted antiquity, 

 na the signs and symbols intended doubtless, to commemorate 

 ome great event. One stone bore on it what might be taken, with 

 "ttle stretch of the imagination, to be a mastadon, a horse, a dog, 





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