6 EXPLORING EXPEDITION PBOM SANTA Ffi 



by the old Spanish traij, which has not heretofore been accurately laid down upon any 

 map. This trail is much talked of as having been the route of commerce between 

 California and New Mexico in the days of the old Spanish rule, but it seems to have 

 been superseded by the routes to the north and south of it, which have been opened 

 by modern enterprise. 



At the "Ojo Verde" the Spanish trail strikes off more northwardly, to seek a prac- 

 ticable crossing of Grand and Green Rivers. We left the trail here, and, leaving the 

 main body of our party encamped al thespring, with a small party of nine, went to the 

 westward some thirty miles, under the guidance of an Indian, who had joined us 

 many days previously, on our route to look for the junction of the Grand and Green 

 Rivers. 'This part of our journey was very rough and dangerous, from the precipitous 

 nature of the route, winding down the sides of deep and grand canons, and it is fortu- 

 nate that no attempt was made to bring forward our pack-train, as we must have lost 

 many mules by it, and, moreover, there was not sullieient pasture for the few animals 

 that we had with us. 1 cannot conceive of a more worthless and impracticable region 

 than the one we now found ourselves in. I doubt not there are repetitions and 

 nineties of it for hundreds of miles down the canon of the Great Colorado, for 1 have 

 heard oi but one crossing of that river above the vicinity of the Mojave villages, and 

 I have reason to doubt if that one (El Yado de los Padres) is practicable, except with 

 the utmost care, even for a pack-mule. 



On leaving the "Ojo Verde*" we traveled south for about seventy miles, passing 

 by the eastern base of the Sierra Abajo, until we struck the San Juan River, in lati- 

 tude 37° 16' -21" and longitude 109° 24' 43", on the L>d September, 1859. We found 

 bottom-land of the river at this point of a light and loose soil, into which the feet of 

 the mules would frequently sink for soiiH! IS inches. We followed up the river, 



remaining on its right bank for some one hundred and twenty miles, until we came oppo- 

 site to the month of ( Jafion Largo, in latitude 36° l.r 28" and longitude 107° 43' 29". 

 In the course of our march we observed many ruins of houses and found quantities 

 of fragments of pottery scattered over the ground, indicating that the valley was once 

 occupied by a race probably of the same origin and character as the Pueblo Indians 

 extant in New Mexico. The fate of those former occupants of that dreary region is 

 involved in mystery. It requires, however, no effort of the imagination to fancy that 

 they may have been starved or frozen to death ; for the winters are severe and fuel is 

 very scarce there. 



1 have no doubt that the warm season is wry short there, otherwise more of the 

 valley of the San Juan would be cultivated by the Navajos, who are a, corn-growing 

 people, for the river affords abundant water for irrigation, and carries soil enough to 

 enrich and renew the fields. 



( )n the loth September, 1 859, we lorded the San Juan, opposite ( 'anon Largo, with 

 no little danger, the strong current and deep water sweeping down some of the mules, 

 which were recovered with difficulty. We were fortunate in passing through Canon 

 Largo just after heavy rains, as I learned afterward that the command of Major Simon- 

 son, which passed through the canon in duly, had suffered much for the want of water. 

 'There is one line spring in the canon, about thirty-five miles from San Juan, but no other 



