TO CHIHUAHUA. 407 
pond containing a couple of acres, in which many ducks 
were seen. 
Two miles before encamping, we entered the direct 
road from El Paso to Chihuahua. This road crosses 
the Medanos or Sand-hills, which we passed on our 
road from Correlitos to El Paso; and such were the 
difficulties then presented, that I determined not to 
attempt it again with wagons. Our route by Gua- 
dalupe required two days longer than if we had 
erossed the Sand-hills; but it was better to lose two 
days than to disable or break down our animals at the 
outset of a long journey. 
The Laguna de los Patos is the outlet of the river 
Carmen; and is four or five miles across, varying in 
extent according to the rainy season. The body of 
water on our right was doubtless the effect of the late 
heavy rains; while that on the left, which is properly 
the laguna, 1s permanent. 
A mile before reaching the lake is a smail hill some 
twenty feet high, on the top of which is a warm spring. 
In the plain on our right, which was more or less 
covered with water, at a distance of eight or ten miles, 
I had noticed during the day what I supposed to be 
clouds of dust or whirlwinds; but I afterwards learned 
from our Mexicans that it was steam from hot springs. 
The steam sometimes issued forth in jets, rising from 
fifty to one hundred feet high, and seemed to extend 
along the plain for a mile or more. I was desirous to 
examine these springs; but the intervening space was so 
much overflowed, that it was not considered safe to do so. 
I could obtain from the arrieros no information about 
them. A number of ducks were shot near our camp. 
