128 explokatio:n t s acboss the great basin op utah. 



drove of animals he went with last evening did not reach water till this morning. Found 

 the water-hole entirely insufficient without being dug out. Mr. Reese had left in the 

 morning to find the other water-hole. Sent out Sergeant Miller with some shovels to 

 enlarge spring. At 12 meridian the herd Kennedy had been with came in, and the 

 report is that the portion Reese was with had strayed away and could not be found, 

 my horse, which I had let him have last night, of the number. The mules which have 

 been brought in are all put to the wagons, leaving one without a team, which of neces- 

 sity we are obliged for the present to leave behind. We strike our course northeast- 

 wardly to one of the springs we hoped to reach yesterday. The animals look sorry 

 enough, and if they do not get water soon, must perish. On our way we were met by 

 Mr. Reese with the remaining animals. He reports he found the other spring through 

 the happy circumstance of meeting a crippled Indian, who showed it to him, just at 

 the time he was despairing of finding it. It is about a mile to the northwest of the first 

 spring. After proceeding in a general northern direction 5.6 miles, or 2.6 miles farther 

 than Stevenson said it would be, we came to one of the springs and encamped. Greatly 

 to our disappointment I found it affording but a very small quantity of water; scarcely 

 enough for cooking purposes. Every effort was made, however, by cleaning out the 

 cavity, to collect the water Avith the greatest possible economy; but after all we could 

 do we could only water the animals by successive bucketfuls, and that at intervals of 

 several minutes. At this rate it was evident the animals would die before we could 

 satisfy them. I then visited, with Lieutenants Putnam and Hurry, the other spring, 

 about a mile to the northwest, and found scarcely a pint of water in it. Prospect of 

 watering the mules gloomy enough! Notice, bearing magnetically N. 20 E., probably 

 12 miles off, in the Champlm Mountains, what appears to be a creek and plenty of 

 grass. As soon as possible send all the mules except the weakest, which can be watered 

 here, to said creek, under care of four dragoons and eight teamsters, Mr. Reese and the 

 old crippled Indian we have found here going along as guides. This Indian has his 

 hip out of joint, but was perfectly willing and anxious to go if we would put him on 

 a mule. He was therefore bodily lifted up and placed on the mule, and he went off 

 very cheerfully. The spring which he showed us, and near which he has his wick-e-up, 

 I call the Good Indian Spring, after this Good Samaritan Indian. Certainly such dis- 

 interestedness as he has shown deserves at least this small tribute. The anxiety he 

 displayed in his gestures and Language to get our animals to water, in our present strait, 

 has been remarkable, and looks like a signal interposition of Providence for our relief. 

 The greater portion pf the mules have been without water since about noon day before 

 yesterday, that is 54 hours, and they will not get any till they reach the creek, 12 miles 

 distant, which will take four hours more. It was pitiable to-day to see them huddling 

 together at the spring and eager to stick their noses in it, and yet of necessity forced 

 away with the whip. Some of them were so dry as to eat the moist mud. The weather 

 has been excessively warm, and this has added to the thirst. O, the value of water, 

 and how little it is prized when it is to be had in abundance ! These trips across our 

 desert plains make it very plain why such value, in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and 

 Jacob, was placed on wells. 



The mountains in which we are encamped I call after Major Irvin McDowell, 



