RED mYER VALLEY. 105 



trending westward, and camped on a stream, after liaying 

 travelled twenty-three miles. This was the first tributary of 

 the Canadian Eiyer, or rather Eed Eiyer (as it is called near 



, its som'ce), we had met on onr route. The surveyors, how- 

 ever, who expected to obtain a good and short line through a 



[■ subordinate range out of the valley which w^e had left in the 

 morning, foimd the country much more difiicult than they 

 had expected, and were not fortunate enough to find a 

 practicable passage into Hay Marsh, west of the foot of 

 Trinchera Pass. They did not reach camp until very late, 

 leaving the end of their line ten miles in the rear. 



The 14th was spent in running this unsatis- 

 factory line from its termination to camp. 

 On the 15th Colonel Burgeman and myself pushed on 

 down the little tributary of Eed Eiver until we came in view 

 of the main valley, in which we had the good fortvme to 

 recognise the four wagons and one ambulance of General 

 AYriglit and thcise Avho had gone round by Trinidad, 



Flat -topped hills* stretched do^vn from the Eaton Moim- 

 tains along the eastern side of the broad Eed Eiver Yalley, 

 while at the other side rose the Eocky Mountains themselves. 

 Having sent a cavaliy maii forward to acquaint General 

 Wright of our whereabouts, we retui-ned to camp to report 

 that Eed Eiver was ahead, and that General Wright and his 

 party had been recognised. So we moved camp a few miles 

 farther down the stream, and next day made the connection, 

 camping altogether on Eed Eiver, four miles below the spot 

 where the main road to Santa Fe crosses it. The bluffs at the 

 back of this camp, which here encroach upon the river, were 

 covered with a plant until then unknown to me. This was a 

 very large night-blooming Mentzelia (3/. ornata^ Ton\), called 



« 



The most prominent being caUed the Eagle's Xest. 



