284 INDIANS OF THE GILA, AND THE CASAS GRANDES. 
think, I ever experienced, we set out on our return to 
camp. Our Indian companions, having got out of 
water (of which we had none to spare), set off in 
advance to reach the river, and there wait for us. 
They were quite reluctant to go alone even a couple 
of miles, for fear of the Apaches ; and I doubt whether 
they would have ventured even then without us, had 
they not been driven to do so by extreme thirst. As 
our canteens were all exhausted before leaving, we 
were obliged to follow their example. We found the 
river's bank about fifteen feet high, and so abrupt that 
it was with some difficulty we reached the water. 
After following the route by which we came, and 
crossing on our way several of the old irrigating 
canals, from which the ancient people who occupied 
the valley derived their water, we reached our camp 
at three o’clock, much fatigued though amply repaid 
by our day’s excursion. The mercury had stood in 
the shade, beneath the trees, at 119° Fahrenheit, 
between the hours of ten and three o’clock. 
I found a few Indians in camp, among them a 
messenger from Francisco Dukey, the Maricopa inter- ” 
preter, who, ashamed to come himself, had sent an 
other to me, begging that I would give him a written 
recommendation to show to other Americans. His 
request was peremptorily refused. 
