434 Ex. Doc. No 41 



one is obliged to keep a sharp look out for it, as there is only one 

 or two trees scattered along its hottom, and these almost hidden by 

 perpendicular banks, in many places 15 feet high.- 



I should advise persons to encamp just before reaching the three* 

 conical buttes, a sketch of which was made last year; as they point 

 out this camping place they form a very useful land mark. 



The water's of the El Rio Tirapa are generally vefy saline, but 

 the late rain had so diluted them that we found them rather plea- 

 sant. 



My little party reached this place at 4 o'clock, but the ox trains ^ 

 did not arrive until dark; many of the men, who wore'moccasins, 

 were complaining most bitterly of the spines of the cactus; their 

 feet were full of them. 



As there was no wood fit to burn, we were forced to use 

 the grease brush; so the voyageurscall it on account of its burning 

 with such a brilliant light. It is in truth the obione canescens. 

 This, with the artemisia tridentata and Fremontia vermicularis, 

 grows in great abundance along the valley of the Timpa. 



Growing among the sage I found the "linosyrls dracunculoides." j 

 It is here from three to four feet in height. „ We also found the 

 "artemisia cana." 



September 11. — This morning we again had a long chase after 

 our mules; they appeared to be as wild as deer, but we at last 

 caught them. Shortly after we had started, we passed the three 

 conical buttes; their tops are covered with pieces of carbonate of 

 lime, beautifully crystalized. The country now became more 

 broken; on the ridges were scattered groves of cedar trees, and the 

 bottom lands clad with the silvery looking foliage of the arte- 

 misias.^ After a march of 19 miles, we camped at a place called 

 the Willows. Here the road crosses the Timpa; the rocks rise on 

 your right hand to the height of 100 feet, their tops covered 

 with cedar trees, and their sides clad with the currant (ribes cer- 

 €um) and the tall cactus, "cactus undulata." 



When we first arrived we had a long search before we could ob- 

 tain^any water. At last found some brackish pools, half hidden by 



t 



f 



the tall cane grass, (arundo phraguntes,) and bordered with the 

 tail (typha latifolia) and arrow weed, (sagittaria sagittefolia.) 



During the night, my tent came very near being burnt up. A | 

 man belonging to the ox train entered my camp, and, throwing some 

 fuel upon the fire, went to bed, leaving the fire burning. The ■ 

 grass caught; all were asleep except myself, and it was lucky for 

 me that I had sat up. I heard the roaring of the fire, and, look- 

 ing out,- found the flames within a few feet of my tent. 

 I shouted aloud, and all the men sprang up, caught their blankets 

 as they rose, and with them soon whipt out the fire. The grass 

 was short, or they could not so easily have extinguished the 

 flames As my health was not yet firm, I had since starting been very 

 caretui to tie the door of my tent, to make it as close as possi- 

 ble; and, when I endeavored to rush out, I found myself impris- 

 oned Had the tent caught, j^ would have been as much as I could 

 have done to save myself; my note books and sketches that had 



