TO SANTA CRUZ. 
395 
supplied themselves with but two days’ provisions and 
one blanket ; and hence had suffered greatly for the 
want both of food and covering. The first day and 
night it had rained hard, as will be remembered. It 
seems that they crossed the Santa Rita mountains some- 
where, and reached the deserted ranchos and towns 
where Mr. Thurber had been. Taking the California 
road,^* they followed it southwardly, and first fell in 
with a settled place at Imuriz, a town about seventy- 
five miles south of Santa Cruz. They had subsisted 
meanwhile on peaches, which they found in the deserted 
villages and ranchos, and upon the bean of the mezquit. 
These couriers had left Santa Cruz but the day 
before, and soon after they fell upon a trail which 
proved to be ours. They told us that we had been 
only some ten or twelve miles from that place ; and 
that had Mr. Thurber pushed his search to the left of 
the mountain, instead of following the stream to the 
right, he would in three or four miles have struck a 
valley and trail leading to his place of destination. I 
now began to feel anxious on account of Dr. Webb 
and Mr. Salazar, but hoped they had joined the main 
body of the Mexican party, which I still believed had 
gone to Tucson, 
^ I have before stated that the California road goes through Santa 
Cruz. The direct road it appears passed the mountains three miles 
north of the town, thereby saving a detour of about ten miles. The 
emigrants however that traverse this road, generally visit the town ; but 
as few had gone this way the present season, the turn off to Santa Cruz, 
which is at San Lazaro, had become almost obliterated, and General 
Conde overlooked it, keeping along the main road, which continues to 
Imuriz, and Santa Madelena. 
