16 MEXICAN CAMP. 
grama, which was an agreeable and beneficial change to our mules, which had been living on 
cane and willow for some days past. 
The plains are now almost entirely of sand, and composed of sandy and caleareous loam with 
iron pyrites and common salt, covered sparsely with chamiza, larrea Mexicana, and a shrubby 
species of sage, (Salvia.) 
I observed at night for latitude and time, and there being two occultations of Jupiter's satel- 
lites, I was tempted to observe them with our inferior telescope, which only gave us another 
proof of its uselessness for the purpose. 
November 22. —Mr. Warner and I started before the advance sounded, and climbed the sharp 
spur of a continuous comb of mountains coming from the southeast, to try if we could see the 
Colorado of the west. The mountains rose abruptly from the plains, as they mostly do in this 
region, resembling in appearance large dykes terminating at top in a sharp ridge which a man 
could, at any part, straddle. They were of hard granite, pepper-and-salt colored, traversed by 
seams of white quartz. This spur gives the river Gila quite a bend to the north, and from that 
point to its mouth, which we reached at night, the river is straight in its general direction; but 
its course is crooked and dotted with sand-bars, by incursions from the sand-hills which now 
flank both its sides. The sand is brought down by the winds from the valley of the Colorado. 
Its volume seemed, I think, a little diminished, probably absorbed by the sand. 
The day was warm, the dust oppressive, and the march, twenty-two miles, very long for our 
jaded and ill-fed brutes. The general's horse gave out, and he was obliged to mount his mule. 
Most of the men were on foot, and a small party, composed chiefly of the general and staff, 
were a long way ahead of the straggling column, when, as we approached the end of our day's 
journey, every man was straightened in his saddle by our suddenly falling on a camp which, 
from the trail, we estimated at 1,000 men, who must have left that morning. Speculation was 
rife, but we all soon settled down to the opinion that it was General Castro and his troops ; that 
he had succeeded in recruiting an army in Sonora, and was now on his return to California. 
Carson expressed the belief that he must be only ten miles below, at the crossing. Our force 
consisted only of one hundred and ten men. The general decided we were too few to be attacked, 
and must be the aggressive party; and if Castro's camp could be found, that he would attack it 
the moment night set in, and beat them before it was light enough to daoa our force. 
The position of our camp was decided, as usual, with reference to the grass. The lives of 
our animals were nearly as important as our own. It was pitched to-day in a little hollow 
encircled by a chain of sand-hills, overgrown with mezquite. 
The sergeant of the general's guard was behind, his mule having broken down; and when 
he came in, reported having seen two Indians about five miles back. For a short time we sup- 
posed this immense trail was a band of Indians returning from a successful marauding expedi- 
tion in Sonora or California; but this conjecture was soon dispelled by the appearance of a 
mounted Mexican on a sand butte overlooking our camp, who, after taking a deliberate survey, 
disappeared. The camp was arranged immediately for defence, and a cordon of sentinels sta- 
tioned on the sand-hills. 
The two howitzers did not arrive till nine o’clock, and the officer in charge, Lieutenant Ham- 
mond, reported that he had seen large fires to the right, apparently five miles distant, on the op- 
posite side of the Gila. 
The general said it was necessary for him to know who occupied the camp, its force, character, 
and destination. He ordered me to take my party and fifteen dragoons, for the purpose of recon- 
noitring. After beating about in the mezquite for some time, we struck a slough of the Gila, 
where grew some tall willows. Up one of these I sent a dragoon, who saw no fire, but whose ears 
were gladdened by the neighing of horses. He slipped down the tree much faster than he 
climbed it, quite enchanted with the hope of exchanging his weary mule for a charger. In- 
stead of reporting what he had seen, he exclaimed, ‘‘ Yes, sir, there are enough for us all.” 
“Did you see the fires?" ‘‘No! but they are all on lone I heard them neighing, and 
