244 
THE COPPER MINES TO 
At this spring, Colonel Cooke’s road enters from 
the east; it then takes a southwesterly course, which 
we are to follow. The road we have pursued from the 
Copper Mines continues south to Janos, and thence to 
Chihuahua. It is the one taken by the California emi- 
grants who come by the way of Santa Fe. It was 
first opened by Colonel Cooke in his march with his 
battalion, and train of wagons to California, in the fall 
of 1846. He took this route by the advice of his 
guides, though much out of his direct course, in 
order to strike the old Spanish trail which leads from 
Janos across a spur of the Sierra Madre, to the frontier 
settlements in Sonora; because it was known that 
water was to be found there, at convenient distances. 
But the more direct route due west from Ojo de Yaca 
was unexplored ; and Leroux, the guide of Colonel 
Cooke, did not know whether water could be found on 
it or not. Not wishing, therefore, to hazard the lives 
of a large body of men by venturing upon an unknown 
desert, he took the wiser course of striking the old 
Janos road at the Guadalupe Pass. 
Travelling rapidly over an excellent hard road, we 
reached a pass in a range of hills shortly before sunset, 
where Colonel Cooke marks down a small watercourse. 
We were not more fortunate than he was, although 
there were indications of water in the clumps of bushes, 
and the numerous doves that were flitting about. 
Several of the party searched for it up and down for a 
mile on both sides of the road, but without success. 
We then passed the hills and encamped on the plain 
beyond. Passed the grave of a man whom we sup- 
posed to be a California emigrant. His name was cut 
