104 Ex. Doc. No. 41. 



r 



cliffs, hailedby the Florida campaigners, some of whom were along^^ 

 as old friends. They were cabbage trees, and marked the locale of 

 a spring and a snaall patch of grass. We found also to-day, in full 

 bloom, the bronnia spinosa, a rare and beautiful plantj the plan- 

 tago, new to our floraj a new species of eriogonum, very remark- 

 able for its extremely numerous long hair-like fruit stalks and mi- 

 nute flowers. 



We rode for miles through thickets of the centennial plant, 

 agave Americana, and found one in full bloom. The sharp thorns 

 terminating every leaf of this plant, were a great annoyance to our 

 dismounted and wearied men whose legs were now almost bare. A 

 number of these plants were cut by the soldiers, and the body of. 

 them used as food. The day was intensely hot, and the sand deep; 

 the animals, inflated with water and rushes, gave way by scores; 

 and, although we advanced only sixteen miles, many did not ar- 

 rive at camp until 10 o'clock at night. It was a feast day for the 

 wolves, which followed in packs close on our track, seizing our de- 

 serted brutes and making the air resound with their howls as they 

 battled for the carcasses. 



The water comes to the surface in pools at this place. It is a 

 valley surrounded by high bleak mountains destitute of vegetation. 

 The mountains are of a micaceous granite seamed with volcanic 

 matter. The grass, which is coarse, extends for a mile or two 

 along the valley. 



A heavy cloud overhung the mountains to the west, and the wind 

 blew a hurricane from that quarter- yet our zenith was never ob- 

 scured, except for a minute at a time by a fleeting cloud detached 

 from the great bank. A horse was killed for food, which was 

 eaten with great appetite, and all of it consumed. 



JSTovemher 30. — Notwithstanding the water was saltish and in 

 pools, and the grass unfavorable to the horses, yet we were com- 

 pelled to avail ourselves of it for a day to recruit. The day and 

 night were very unpleasant, from the high wind which came over 

 the snow-clad mountains to the west. The ground, *too, was trem- 

 ulous, and my observations for time, by which I hoped to obtain 

 the rate of my chronometers, were not such as I could desire. 



December 1.— We ascended the valley, now destitute of both 

 grass and water, to its termination, and then descended to the deserted 

 Indian village of San Felippe. The mountains on either side are 

 lofty, I suppose from 3,000 to 5,000 feet high, and those to the 

 west encrusted on the top with snow and icicles. Our camp was 

 ma long field of grass, three or four miles in extent, through 

 which a warm stream flowed and drained through a canon to the 

 north, abreast of the village. We went to the barren hills and 



collected the dry sage and scrub mezquite, with which we made a 



feeble fire. The larrea Mexicana grew here also, but it is unfit for 



fuel . 



About nine miles from the camp, we passed the summit which is 

 said to divide the waters flowing into the Colorado from those 

 flowing into the Pacific, but I think it is a mistake. The pass is 

 much below the peaks on either side, and the height gives no indi- 



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