THE PRESIDIO OF JANOS. 323 
an unusual event in these regions. We first discovered 
them at a distance, and on applying our spy-glasses, 
were still more puzzled, as they resembled Americans. 
On coming up, they proved to belong to a party of 
emigrants ahead, which they had left some hours before 
in search of deer or other game. They seemed as 
much surprised as ourselves at the meeting, and had 
many questions to ask. ‘Their party was short of pro- 
visions, about which they felt more anxiety than about 
the state of the road or the grass. 
After striking the road, our course was again due 
east through a fine valley watered by a small stream ; 
the western tributary or source of the San Pedro. We 
followed this valley for about six miles, and met a‘train 
of twenty or twenty-five ox-teams, with emigrants for 
California. We stopped a few minutes to exchange 
news with them, as well as to ask sundry questions 
about the state of the road, grass, water, and Indians; 
the result of which was more satisfactory to us than to 
them. 
On the south side of the valley we were traversing, 
were bold rocky cliffs, about a hundred feet high ; 
while on the opposite side, 1t was bounded by low hills 
of gravel. The valley was covered with grass, but not 
a tree or shrub was visible. We crossed the stream 
over a rocky ledge, where there was buta few inches 
of water. Shortly before reaching it, we passed on 
our right the ruins of a village, which appeared to 
have been long deserted. Amid these ruins, on the 
summit of a hill, there seemed to:have been a fortifi- 
cation. We encamped directly by the crossing near 
the base of a hill, where there were traces of previous 
