THE COPPER MINES. 
293 
with all the fresh meat we required to carry us home. 
It is true we had on hand a stock of dried beef ; but 
nothing short of dire necessity could induce us to 
touch it. The wheel being at length completed, 
though in a very bungling manner, we made prepara- 
tions to resume our journey in the morning. 
June lltli. Took an early start, and moved rapidly 
over the first portion of the road, which was quite 
smooth, and arrived at the mountain called Gavoyan^ 
around the eastern end of which we had to pass to 
reach the valley of the Agua Prieta. On examining 
the damaged wheel, I found it in a dubious condition, 
the spokes having all worked loose. We strengthened 
it as well as possible, by inserting new ashen spokes, 
and lashing all together with raw hide ; and then 
pushed on, driving over the hills as carefully as possi- 
ble. We had scarcely proceeded a mile, however, 
when, on coming to an uneven place, the wheel 
crushed down, splitting spokes and hub to pieces, and 
overturning the wagon, which deposited its contents 
on the ground in all directions. As the little stream 
which takes its rise at the Agua Prieta was but a few 
rods from us at the time, we selected a spot in a grove 
of cotton-woods, and stopped there for the night. 
A further examination of the wheel showed that it 
was impossible to mend it, and that it must be con- 
demned and abandoned. In order to make the most 
of the wreck, we took off the hind wheels and put 
them on the forward axle ; then, by sawing the box in 
two, the vehicle was converted into a cart. On this 
we placed the corn, and distributed the rest of the 
load among the other wagons. 
