259 | ray 
yunced that we ha idiot the wens object of our ieee Sebi 
1L— ahs h here was ru y north. mip st galt and i its’ 
<< ceil 
lly h py di et wenies bbe Since 
we had « ly been forced south by mountains and SP dieehas end 
now Paco ave to make six degrees of northing, to regain the latitude on 
which.we wished to cross the Rocky mountains. The course of the road, — 
therefore, was what we wanted; and, once more, we felt li hike going home-- 
wards, A roud ni lee on, and the ‘right course to g0, were joyful con-’ 
solations to ur animals enjoyed the beaten track like ourselves. ’ 
Relieved from athe 3 ries and brush, our wild mules started off at a rapid rate, 
and in 15 miles we reached a considerable river, timbered with cottonwood ’ 
and willow, where we found a bottom.of tolerable grass. AS the anithals: 
had suffered a great ahs in ene last few days, I’remained here all next day, ult 
to ate them the necessary repose; and it was now necessary, at every 
favorable place, to make a sie halt. Between us and the Colorado river we 
were aware that the country was extremely poor in grass, and scarce for’ 
water, there being many Jornadas, (days’ journey,) or long stretches of 40 to- 
60 miles, without water, where the road was marked by bones of animals. 
Although i in California we had met with people who had passed over this 
trail, we Rees trewabls to obtain no correct information about it; and the 
oe gs hat we had heard was found to be only a tissue ‘of false- 
Sheri pes that we joan on it were never mentioned, and others, 
mo ott described in name and locality, were subsequently seen in an- 
other part of the country. It was described asa tolerably good sandy road, 
with so little rock as scarcely to require the animals to be shod; and we 
found it the roughest and rockiest road we had ever seen in the country, 
_ which nearly destroyed our band of fine mules and horses. Many an- 
mals are ‘destroyed on it every year by a disease called the foot evil; and 
a wz Heeler a meres ae pes onit without having his animals well shod, 
“ae ) carr 
tnt | 94° 64" 11"; jaa longvide 117° 13' 00" 
od ete of the 22d was clear and bright, and a snowy beets to the’ 
ward ame oe high and sharply defined. As has been ustial since 
sed the mountains and Geseeniisd into the hot plains, we had a gale 
of wiki. Ye travelled down the right i. of the stream, over sands 
which are somewhat loose, and have no verdure, but are occupied by va- 
rious ‘stiurbs. A clear bold stream, 60-feet wide, and several feet deep, nil 
a strange appearance, running betweeiPperfectly naked banks of sand. 
eye, however, is somewhat relieved by willows, nad the beautifal green of” 
the sweet cottonwoods with which it is well wooded. As we followed along 
its course, the river, instead of growing constantly larger, gradually dwin- 
dled away, as it was absorbed by the sand. We-were now careful totake | 
the old. camping places of the annual Santa Fé caravans, which, luckily for 
ve of several thousand” 
us, ha | made their yearly passage. A 
