MOHAVE VALLEY—LEAVE SAN DIEGO. 
3 
low hills to the north of Santa Emilia mountain. Reaching the plain, our object was to find a 
practicable connexion between it and that of Los Angeles, and complete the line already 
extended thus far from the Salinas, To do this, we traced the Rio Santa Maria to its source, 
and encountered a divide between it and a tributary of the Santa Clara, with rugged, difficult, 
most forbidding and impracticable approaches, precluding all idea of locating a line of rail¬ 
way along this route. Leaving this divide, we followed down an open and inviting valley ; 
but its character, however, now changed to that of the canon, and finally became impassable. 
Rather than retrace our steps, we clambered up the left wall, and with great difficulty got out 
upon a more open country ; here we soon fell into our trail from San Francisquito to the 
Canada de las Uvas; having thus completely encircled the Santa Emilia mountain, and 
satisfied ourselves of the utter impracticability of the mountain route, we wended our way back 
to the depot camp, having been absent fourteen days, and experienced, during that time, more 
hardships and difficulties, from ruggedness of country, snow, and rain, than we had before met 
with. Leaving San Francisquito, we followed down the Santa Clara, making such side 
explorations for topography as time and occasion permitted, until we reached the coast road to 
Los Angeles, and proceeded thence to the rancho Triompho, making examinations and surveys 
on both sides of the road via the ranchos Semi and Conejo. From Triompho we proceeded to 
Los Angeles, and thus completed the first division of the work entrusted to our charge, occupy¬ 
ing the party four months from the 20th November, 1854, (the date of our entering the field.) 
At the mouth of the Cajon Pass, near the Mormon settlement of San Bernardino, we were 
joined, on April 3, by the escort under the command of Lieut. Wm, A. Winder, 3d regiment 
artillery. Leaving the main body at this point under his charge, we then started through the 
Pass with a small party for the Mohave river, which we traced down to the Soda Lake. Skirting 
this lake, we found (as did Capt. Whipple and Lieut. Williamson) no outlet to the Colorado 
river. 
Between Soda Lake and the Colorado river lies a strip of desert country, upon which the only 
known watering places are those along the route of Capt. Whipple. To traverse this line was, 
of course, unnecessary, and from previous experience in districts of country of similar character, 
I deemed it too hazardous, and in fact an unwarranted risk to attempt to traverse the Cheme- 
hueves plain, when, from all the information I could gather from trappers as well as Indians, 
there was not a drop of water for over a stretch of one hundred and ten miles . 
Returning from the Mohave river, I proceeded to San Francisco via Los Angeles and San 
Pedro, to procure funds and replace broken instruments, whilst the party proceeded to San 
Diego, there to reorganize and refit for our Gila trip. Lieut. G. T. Andrews, 3d regiment 
artillery, here relieved Lieut. Winder in charge of the escort. 
I arrived in San Diego on 23d May, and everything being in readiness, we started on the 
26th, following the wagon road to Fort Yuma, and thence up the Gila to the Pimas villages. 
Owing to the excessive heat on the desert and along the Gila, the entire distance from Carrizo 
Creek was performed at night. At the Pimas villages the party was divided, one taking the wagons 
via Tucson to the crossing of the San Pedro, while the other, with pack mules, continued up the 
Gila to the mouth of the San Pedro, thence up this stream to the wagon road, where the parties 
again joined. From this point an exploration was made of the ridge on the right bank of the 
stream, and to the north of our camp. On the return of this party we proceeded to the Playa 
de las Pimas, and camped at the springs on its northwestern margin. Here we again diverged, 
one party taking the road through the Puerto del Dado, while the other proceeded through the 
