TO RIO SAN PEDRO. 
373 
turned short to the left, and entered a narrow defile 
with perpendicular sides, and soon after found our- 
selves in a beautiful amphitheatre among the moun- 
tains. Here we found the spot where the Mexican 
Commission had been encamped, and a note from Mr. 
Thurber, stating that in consequence of the limited 
supply of water they had still gone forward. I was 
greatly disappointed at this news, as there was every 
indication of the proximity of water in the many sur- 
rounding gorges and ravines. All were set about 
searching for it at once; and after some time thus 
spent, one of the men happily struck a trail, which he 
followed half a mile up a ravine, and there discovered 
a spring and fine pool of crystal water. No time was 
lost in driving up the mules, horses, cattle, and sheep, 
and we gladly pitched our tents near a beautiful grove 
of oaks. I regretted much that General Conde had 
not discovered this fine spring, the vicinity of which 
afforded the most eligible camping ground we had yet 
met with. Lieutenant Whipple observed here, and 
found the latitude to be 32° 08' 43", longitude 109° 
24' 33". 
September Mli. After a few hours’ detention to 
repair Colonel Graham’s wagon, we moved forward, 
and found the mountains more difficult to pass than 
any we had encountered before, consisting as they did 
of continuous hills, which required much care on the 
part of the teamsters; yet, with locking the wheels 
two or three times, and a little assistance by hand, we 
soon got through. The length of the pass, with all the 
sinuosities of our route, did not exceed three miles. 
On emerging from the opposite side a broad plain 
