e 
[ 174 J 258 
tirely unfit for drinking, Here we turned directly to the eastward, alo 
the trail, which, from being seldom. used, is almost imperceptible ; ant és 
after travellin a few miles, our guide eee oes binsng: to the hardly 
visible trail, “aqui es camino,” said he, jempre.’? He 
pointed out a black bué/e on the plain at the pot « of the mountain, where 
we would find water to encamp at igs an and, eg him a present of knives © 
and scarlet cloth, we shook hands He bore off south, and in a 
day’s ride would arrive at San Fomiendo one of coveral Ay wibtes in this 
Patt of be ee where the onntey is so bea tifu 
traveller to Se no farther. Riding soa centr: the p 
after entered a defile overgrown with the ominous ariaini isia < ape r : 
which conducted us into a sandy plain govered more or less Fe aa 
forests of yucca. 
Having now the snowy ridge on our right, we continued our way towards 
a dark butte belonging to a jo sierra in the plain, and which our guide 
had pointed out for a landm Late is day the familiar growth of. 
by oat a line of which ae visible ahead, indicated. our gee: ut to. 
yards above, we found the creek a fine stream, 16 cate 
current. A dark night overtook us when we 
of the ridge, and we were obliged to encamp without crass; ‘tying up what 
animals we could secure in the darkness, the greater part of the wild ones 
having free range for the night. Here the stream was two feet ay swift 
and clear, issuing from a:neighboring snow peak. A few m es before | 
reaching this creek, we had crossed a broad dry river bed, ics nearer 
the billy oe hunters bad found a bold and handsome stream 
April 18.—Some parties were engaged ; in hunting up the mantel horses, ‘ 
and neg in searching ioe pass aboye; both were sunpossial and late ein _ 
the Pra we encamped am ring heads of the river, 
was covered with  onle: inlaraby 3 grasses, th 
g entirely ee with ited bunches of | the coarse stiff : 
le abt 8.) 
ar lane, by observation, was 34°27'0 03!" and rartads 1? 13" 00", 
se along the mountain, we followed up, in the afternoon 
e 19th sieitber stream, in hopes to find a grass patch like that of the 
V vi is ree were deceived; except some scattered bunch grass, t there | 
thing but rock and sand; and even the fertility of the mountain 
ere wed the air of the desert. Amine the few trees —— 
n llus. . 
o. 
g 
was Sti in an easterly Secs alon g the idge, 
oun "gerbe confounded sh come 
ifficult of.18 miles, a general shout 
