202 FORT YUMA 
sluice of the. river, where we encamped. There was 
no appearance of grass here; but with plenty of wil - 
lows and cotton-wood, the animals seemed content. As - 
we were all fatigued from our night’s journey, we 
threw ourselves on the. sand, and, after a couple of 
hours’ sleep, awoke quite refreshed, and ready for our 
coffee and breakfast. 
All about us we found signs that a large encamp- 
ment of Americans had been here, with indications of © 
a cache. These were the tires of two wheels straight- 
ened and inserted so deeply in the ground that they 
could not be withdrawn. They were probably land 
marks, from which bearings had been taken and dis- 
tances measured. There had evidently been a great 
breaking up of wagons and destruction of property 
here. The day was very hot, and rendered more 
oppressive by the bare sand around us. The bottom 
d was broad, ‘and but partially wooded. Nearus 
was a sluice, which had been filled when the river was 
high, or it may have heen a bend of the river through 
which the water had flowed. We did not see the river. 
Just before sunset, we resumed our journey, continu- 
ing a few miles along the river bottom where the road 
was good. We then ascended about one hundred and 
twenty feet to a plateau, up a very steep and rocky 
way, where I much feared our wagons would be crush- 
ed; but by the soldiers taking hold, and every man 
pushing and pulling, we at length surmounted the hill. 
The road was now hard and smooth, until we came ' 
an arroyo, which we had to descend, and then cross 
over steep and rocky hills, which again endangered 
the wagons. On reaching the crest of the table-land, 
