68 APPENDIX A.— DIARY OF THE EXPEDITION. 
mixed with gravel. It then changed to a yellow, soft sand, covered thickly with chaparral. 
The ground is much cut up by mole and prairie-dog holes, which render the travelling fatiguing 
to the animals, as they are constantly sinking into them. 
We could distinguish an immense salt lake in our front for many miles before we arrived at 
it, in which there appeared to be a large body of water. However, on crossing it, we found it 
perfectly dry. It is upwards of two and three-quarter miles across, and is covered over with a 
salty efflorescence. As the sun shone fiercely upon its dazzling surface, the effect upon our eyes 
was most painful. On digging, the soil became moist, At the depth of two and a half feet 
we came to water, the taste of which was intolerable. 
We had here an interesting instance of the power of refraction. As the mounted party 
arrived at the lake before the wagons, the men behind supposed we were standing in water. 
When they reached the lake, they also appeared to be wading through water. We saw some 
antelope here, but did not succeed in killing any; they were shy. 
On leaving the lake, we proceeded to the river over a soft and heavy red sand. It was very 
bad travelling for the wagons. The grass became scanty and bad. We reached camp at ten 
minutes after 4 o'clock p. m. The most convenient place was selected for watering the animals, 
yet we had to use buckets—it being dangerous to allow them to drink from the bank, which 
was steep and miry. Mezquite-root scarce in the neighborhood of camp. We found some 
drift-wood on the banks of the river. The grass being of an inferior quality, the mules were 
fed with corn, hobbled, and grazed during the night, under a strong guard. 
Until the last two or three miles, the mezquite and grass were abundant.  Altogether, the 
country to-day was far inferior to that we have traversed for some time past. 
No observations taken during the day; the night cloudy, with a slight rain. General direc- 
tion, south 50° east; miles, 20,45. 
Camp No. 23—Thursday, March 23, 1854.—Left last camp at twenty minutes to 7 o'clock. 
At a short distance from it we found a long stake driven firmly into the ground on the bank of 
the river, evidently intended as a mark or guide, but by what party put there we could not 
ascertain. We now struck a wagon-trail, which we supposed to be Marcy's. However, on 
following it up for some miles, it terminated abruptly. After considerable search for it, without 
success, the command halted and turned back, and, at a mile and a half distant, encamped near 
the river. Two parties were sent out to hunt up the trails; one of them struck it about three 
miles from where we halted. 
Our road to-day was good; the soil gravelly, and mixed with sand. The bluffs approach 
nearly to the river’s edge. Indeed, at one point the road was barely broad enough to permit 
a wagon to pass along the stream. ‘This portion of our route was thickly covered with gypsum 
and shells; the former in larger masses than we had yet seen. Selenite was also abundant. 
On cutting off a piece of it with a penknife, it was found to be as clear and transparent as glass. 
Indeed, the poorer classes of the Mexicans, and all the pueblos in New Mexico, use selenite of a 
much inferior quality as a substitute for this necessary article. 
The soil to-day consisted of a firm red sand, mingled with clay; the bluffs are red sand. The 
grass assumed a completely different hue, becoming quite green ; the effect was pleasing to the eye. 
There was prairie-grass in the bottom, grama and buffalo-grass on the bluffs—all excellent and 
abundant. We reached camp at 11 o'clock a. m., on the bank of the river. The animals and 
stock were driven about a mile from camp to an old camping-place, where they could be watered 
without using buckets. On their return the mules were hobbled and turned out to graze; the 
wagon mules, and those retained in camp for the purpose already mentioned, only fed with 
corn. Animals grazed at night, guarded as usual. Mezqufte root and brush plenty along our 
whole route to-day. 
For the last few days the rattlesnakes are becoming numerous. The weather is oppressively 
sultry, the thermometer ranging from 84° to 88° in the shade. 
