AGUA PRIETA. 257 
east to west; the last of a conical form, crowned by a 
perpendicular mass of reddish rock, covered with 
green and yellow moss. Here the country was ex- 
ceedingly hilly and barren. For two or three miles 
the vegetation was limited to a perfect forest of the 
Jouquieras ; some of which grow to the height of 
twenty feet, their leafless stems crowned with scarlet 
flowers. I would have remained at San Bernardino 
for the night, but expected to find water at the base 
of these hills, as indicated by Colonel Cooke. We saw 
many places where there had been water, and even a 
running stream; but all was dried up, and there was 
no alternative but to push on some twelve or fourteen 
miles to Black Water Creek, the Agua Prieta of the 
Mexicans. Emerging from the hills we came upon an 
open plain with an excellent road down a gradual de- 
scent for about ten miles; and seeing before .us the 
bottom of the valley, with aline of bushes which I sup- 
posed to mark the stream we were in search of, I hur- 
ried on in advance of the wagons, in order to select a 
good place for an encampment. A couple of hours 
brought me to the spot, where to my great disappoint- 
ment, I found only a dry ravine without a drop of 
water; nor did it appear that there had been any 
there for months. Rank grass and weeds had sprung 
up in the bed where water had run, had come to ma- 
turity, and shrunk away for the want of further nou- 
rishment. Not a tree was near us, and every thing 
around had a most forbidding aspect. For a mile be- 
fore reaching this watercourse, we had noticed many 
well-beaten trails of wild cattle, some of which were 
quite fresh, and directed towards a common centre. 
VoL. L—17 
