403 C77 
friend noticed them, and as they passed, dismounted, stooped down, 
and drew up his rifle; as the smoke burst forth from the muzzle of 
We already had the medt of two fat cows, and as the wag- 
_ ons were so far from the place where the cow had fallen, she was 
_ left.to feed the wolves. . aa ; 
The ruts of the road were full of little lizards, sunning themselves; 
*  as-we approached they would dart briskly away, manifestly disin- i 
clined to play the part of devotees to Juggernaut. . 
In crossing to the river we found the ground in many places co- 
vered with beautiful gallardias(g. amblyodon) and the eupatoriuin, 
while in the moist grounds we saw the curious dodder twining in 
its golden tendrils all the plants that grew around it, forming an 
inextricable entanglement. 
Among the birds, we saw many of the sky-larks and several avo- 
Sets (recuroirostra ames.) The tail and its coverts white, wings 
black and white, legs blue, and bill recurved. 
When we first struck the river, we met with Major Clark’s bat- 
talion of artillery,-a fine body of troops, well uniformed and of sol- 
dierly bearing. . . 
aving marched a few miles along the river bank, we formed our _ 
camp, aft elli his day a distance of 19 miles. 
Sunday, July 19th.—Marching along the Ar ttom one is 
struck with the variety of swamp grasses. Here we find the trian- 
gular grass, (scirpus triguctio,) and mingled with it in great abund- 
ance the scouring rush (equisetum hyemale) and the beautiful lia- 
tris (liatris spicata. : ee ee ae se 
fter we had started, I went back three miles to meet Gen. Kear- 
_-AYin order to get some one to go with us and show us the exact loc: ion 
of the capture of the party of Texans by Capt. Cooke, 24 poy ‘ 
in 18. General Kearny detailed: Lieutenant Love, who showed 
il a St 
& 
y 
along the river bank,’and is the first grove of any size that the 
travelle> west meets after passing Pawnee fork, which, by the 
Toute we came, is 64 miles distant. a = 2 
evening we went to General Kearny’s camp to get soine of 
We had expected to have gone not more than 
s, but only reached them after a ride of eig 
Main here until the camp should overtake us ih Sepa! 0 ie 
Monday, 20th.—This morning we had not marched farwh 
encamp. Soon Liewtenant Em 
General Kearny’s guard stop and 
Who had feoeace ore : 
river, rode oy 
tral Kearny was:very ill, and™ord edo wa, nain- 
for the purpose of conveying th Sane on by easy stages; fi 
Sut wagon was light’ and had good’ springs, while all 
ia aap ae URC . = 
