432 Ex. Doc. No. 41. 



the fusil balls of the Indians. - Wood is too scarce, and of such a 

 kind as is not suited for building, while the ^^ adobes'' answer 

 every purpose so well that they were used by Lieutenant Gilmer, 

 of the engineer corps, at Santa Fe, in the construction of. Fort 



Marcy. I was told that the '^s 

 for'eisrhteen cents the hundred. 



cubes'' could be bought in M 



Pilkaj with some of the men of the fort, went down to the 

 mouth of the Purgatory, or ^? Las Animas,'' to get the mules, prer 

 paratory to starting for Santa Fe in the morning. They found them 

 in a fine pasturing ground, looking much improved. . * " 



Mr. Bent's people were cutting hayj they find that the .wild grass 

 of the bottoms,' when weH'ciired, makes excellent hay. 



Captain Walker came down the river, having received informa- 

 tion of the approach of a large body of volunteers. He had some 

 sixty head of mules, and will, doubtless, dispose of them to the 

 volunteers with great advantage, both to himself and to the troops, 

 as their horses are completely broken down by the march across 



the desert. ^ * - 



In the morning Bill Garey arrived here. He was the interpreter 

 last year at the council held in August at this place, by a deputa- 

 tion of Delawares and the Cheyenne nation. He is now engaged 

 in trading with the Indians in the vicinity of Peublo, or Hard- 

 scrabble. 



Before dark Mr. M. St. Vrain told us that he had concluded to 

 go to Santa Fe. We were all delighted when be announced his 

 intention, as he will doubtless be able to procure us some fresh 

 meat on the march, being a good huntsman, and our road leads 

 through a region that abounds with the deer, the antelope, and the 

 turkey. We are in hopes, too, that we shall be just in time for the 

 wild fruits, as the plum,* the grape, and the currant abound, and 

 three varieties of the currant are found in great profusion in the 



" ^ I knew the country to be full of game; we 



pictured to ourselves the streams of pure cold water, over which 

 the plum trees waved their golden dru^s, w^hile the vine twined 

 around the Cottonwood or graceful locust tree, or clambered up the 

 mountain sides, laden with rich clusters of the purple grape, and 

 the rocks embroidered with the currant bush, laden with its trans- 

 parentWax-like berries. 



mountain passes. W 



Wed 



W^ 



to prepare for our Journey, and the morning was spent in packing 

 up. I had the coffee all prepared, and enough bread baked to last 

 several days, for I wished to have our time unencumbered for the 

 few first days, until my party, consisting of myself, Mr- Nourse, 

 and Pilka, should get our duties a little systematized. 



At 3 o'clock we forded the Arkansas, just as several colnpanie's 

 of Colonel Price's regiment were' forming their camp. As we left, 

 there was a slight shower of rain, and the sky looked threatening, 

 but we were all too glad to get once more in our saddles to be 

 turned back by a shower of rain. Several times we thought of 



am 



black and lowering aspect, were rushing towards us, and extenoea 



