TO LA MAGDALENA. 
407 
Santa Cruz, but promised that he would let me have 
some the following day. 
Some account of the several missing parties may 
not be improper in this place. The Mexican Com- 
mission, on whose trail I depended, and which led me 
out of my proper course, followed an Indian trail the 
second day after leaving the San Pedro, which led them 
to the town of Tucson^ a military post ninety miles 
from the Gila and about one hundred from Santa Cruz. 
They met with great difficulties in crossing the Santa 
Rita mountains, and were compelled to abandon their 
wagon. From there they took the road to Santa Cruz, 
which they reached in five days. Doctor Webb and 
Mr. Salazar, who proceeded in advance the day after 
we left the San Pedro, overtook the main body of the 
Mexican Commission, as we had supposed, and con- 
tinued with it. Mr. Gray, in his attempt to reach 
Santa Cruz, followed the same trail, and also brought 
up at Tucson, from which he took a new start and 
arrived at the former place. 
Santa Cruz is one of the nine presidios or military 
posts on the frontier of the State of Sonora, the others 
being Tucson, Fronteras, Babispe, Bacuachi, Tubac, 
Altar, San Carlos, and Hermosillo. It was formerly a 
place of considerable importance, with about fifteen 
hundred inhabitants ; but at present its population 
does not exceed three hundred. It possesses a fine 
valley and bottom land of the richest soil, and is irri- 
gated by a small stream bearing its own name, which 
has its rise in springs about ten miles to the north, in 
the beautiful valley through which we entered the 
place. It is admirably adapted for the raising of 
