372 
THE COPPER MINES 
tbe precaution to fill our water kegs. Fortunately we 
extracted enough from our canteens to make our cof- 
fee. One of the wagons got so completely bogged 
that it could not be extricated ; so that I was obliged 
to send back some pack-mules to take the load, and 
let the wagon come in empty. Short as this day’s 
journey had been, it was a very severe one on the mules. 
Latitude of this camp 32° 08' 33", longitude 109^ 11' 
32" ; course north-west. 
September 4d]i. This morning the party sent in 
search of O’Donoghue retured. They had discovered 
his track, and traced him to the camp which General 
Conde had just left, where they found a note announc- 
ing his safe arrival there, and that he had kept on 
with the General and his party. 
Continued our journey along the base of the 
mountains ; the road still heavy, with frequent arroyos. 
These, when the banks are steep, are difficult to pass ; 
and in crossing one of them a tongue of one of Colonel 
Graham’s wagons was broken. The day was quite 
hot, and the poor mules seemed to suffer much from 
thirst. As we drew near to the mountains we disco- 
vered water gushing from their side. We therefore 
halted; and as the spring was at some distance above 
the valley, we had to take the mules from the wagons 
and with much labor lead them up to drink. This 
was so difficult that a portion of the party kept on, 
hoping soon to find a place where the precious beverage 
was more accessible. 1 observed one of the gentlemen 
clamber up the rocks and fill his leather cup with 
water, which he brought several times down the steep 
hill to give to his suffering horse. At one o’clock, we 
