434 
ILLNESS AND 
prowl among the mountains and pounce upon any 
small and unprotected party that may fall in their way. 
We journeyed but twelve miles when we encamped. 
45 - * * 
With the above, my diary breaks off. The follow- 
ing day, I felt quite ill, and when we encamped, early 
in the afternoon, was unable to record what had passed 
or to make any notices of the country. The day after, 
my illness continued, and my appetite left me entirely. 
I still kept in my saddle, and, by stopping every hour 
or so and lying down, was enabled to reach a camp- 
ing place early in the day. Ranchos and villages 
being at short distances apart, we found no difficulty 
in halting where it suited our convenience. On the 
sixth day after leaving Magdalena we reached Ures^ 
passing through the villages of Cucurpe^ Tuape^ Opo- 
depe^ and Rayon^ a distance of forty leagues. It was 
a most painful journey to me. I was obliged to keep 
on horseback, there being no other means of convey- 
ance. During the day, between the hours of ten and 
four, the sun was intensely hot, and the rays from 
the light colored soil gave me a severe pain in my 
head. I .used an umbrella when the wind did not 
blow, which gave me some relief; nevertheless, I 
was compelled to make frequent stops, and avail my- 
self of a bushy tree or shrub that afforded a shade, 
where I could lie down and rest. I would wil- 
lingly have stopped; but the miserable little places 
we passed afforded no comforts, and my companions 
agreed with me that it was best to push on for Ures. 
As the nights were cold, requiring two or three blank- 
