440 Ex. Doc. No 41. 



September 18. — Last night we were much annoyed by the loud 

 snorting of one of the mules that had been fastened near some 

 brush; he awoke us all, and we were obliged to let him loose; 

 there were either wolves or bears prowling around cur camp. This 

 morning the mule was not to be found; we had a long hunt after hira; 

 at length Pilka found him three or four miles off in, a narrow gorge. 

 It was now so late that were obliged to give up all idea of march-' 

 ing. Soon Lreutenant Simpson*s wagons arrived, and in the even- 

 ing the ox teams of Mr. St. Vrain; the trading wagons have sus- 

 tained anotherupset. 



In'the neighborhood of the carap I collected several species of 



compositaceous flowers; 



and a variety of the yucca and ^'^ gilia pulchella,'' 



) 



Great numbers of wolves, the large grey wolf, were prowling 

 around our camp^ (canis nubilius;) it was, doubtless, one of them 

 that had so terrified the mule last night. 



Mr 



that he had shot; I pfe^ 

 served the skin, although the head of Ihe animal was much injured 

 by the rifle ball.' 



This evening, a couple of hours before sunset, I ascended a little 

 slope that gave me a fine view of the mountain masses that were 

 piled to the height of one thousand feet above our heads; all 

 around me, and the valley below, were enveloped in the dark pur- 

 ple shadows of evening, whilst the high mountain to the east, and 

 the plane sloping up from its base, were bathed in the golden light 

 of the sun. Near me the landscape seemed quietly sleeping, ex- 

 cept wh-n one or two men gathered around the camp fires, while 

 on t' c plain, at the mountain's ba?e, the men %vere driving our 

 mules down to water. What a beautiful contrast these broad masses 



of light and shade; this serenity of sleep with the liveliness of 

 life. ■ 



September 19.— We had no sooner left camp than we commenced 

 the ascent of a long hill, whose top forms the dividing ridge of the 



waters running north from tho^e running^'south. From the top of 



this ridge one has a magnificent view. As the road is very tortu- 

 ous, at one time one beholds the Spanish peaks directly in front; 

 but It IS only for a moment, as the road immediately bends its 

 course to the south. 



The bottom of the gorge was now comparatively level; we 

 travelled along quite rapidly, until near the " embouchure" of the 

 pass, when wc again encountered difficult ground. Whilst riding 

 along some_ distance in advance of the wagon, I discovered beyond 

 L'nv'n" T t^.at screened me, three large grizzly bears C'ursus 

 ferox ) in the middle of the road, marching directly towards me. 

 rhey were then not more than 100 yards distant; I lowered my 

 ^;. rifl. ^l'''\" ^''?S sce^, and rode back and told Pilka- to get 

 t.-tPd/h ^"™\ ^?^7^'-^^ and stooping down behind a rock 

 Ti. riflp ,n/ ^Pf °^?^i ^\^y came to within fifty yards of him, but 

 stood „nt?f^ ''''''' 1^^ ^^''^ ^'"^^'^^ P^t on a fresh cap and 

 rosArf. ^ ^'\ A^ *^" ^°"^ ^^P°^t of the cap the bears all 



rose erect, snuffing the air. At last they caught si^bt of the cause 



