AGUA PRIETA. 
249 
mountains, eighty or a hundred miles distant, extend- 
ing towards the west, which I suppose to be a continu- 
ation of the copper mine range along the Gila. West 
of this arose another and less distant range. To the 
south was an uninterrupted plain, with no .mountains, 
or even a hill, visible. 
May The weather was very cold this morn- 
ing ; ice was found in our camp buckets, and we 
were all glad to wrap our blankets around us. After 
following the edge of the dry lake for a mile, we 
came to more springs and water holes, near which the 
grass was excellent. From here our course was south- 
west, directly for a pass in the mountains, known as 
the 8ierra de los Animos^ about seven miles distant. 
The road was good, the pass presented no difficulties, 
and we soon reached the plain beyond, where we 
turned more to the south. Three or four miles brought 
us to the dry bed of a stream, where we stopped the 
train, and traced its banks on both sides of the road 
for more than a mile, without finding water. Before us 
lay a broad valley, bounded on the west by a range 
of high mountains ; and at some eight or ten miles dis- 
tance I noticed a dark line of trees, with similar lines 
intersecting it. This indicated a stream ; and four or 
five miles more brought us to one of its tributaries. 
But, alas ! it was but a dry bed, though fine, large 
trees, with thick shrubbery, grew along its banks, 
marking its course for miles. Again we stopped. 
Br. Webb took the rocky bed, determined to follow 
it up, while I, with some others, struck across to a 
clump of trees near the base of a mountain, the luxu- 
riance of which gave promise of water. In this we 
