TRAIL OF LIEUT. WILLIAMSON’S PARTY.—MISSING HERDER. 
125 
ably be explicit. It is well known that steamers of light draught already carry supplies for the 
troops as high as Fort Yuma. Mr. Leroux, who accompanied Capt. Sitgreaves, and who, years 
ago, trapped upon this river for beaver, says that, from Fort Yuma to the mouth of Rio Virgen, 
there seemed to be a deep channel without rapids. According to our observations, though the 
current is rapid, the inclination is less than one foot per mile: the depth appears to be suffi¬ 
ciently great to allow the passage of small steamboats. 
The night being favorable, magnetic and astronomical observations have been obtained. 
The moon was observed with the transit, for the determination of the longitude of camp. 
March 10 —Camp 144.—A breeze from the Sierra Nevada rendered the morning cool. Taking 
an early start, we ascended the stream to a gorge formed by the jutting of hills into the valley. 
The surveying party, with the spring-wagon, followed the banks, but the pack-train took an 
Indian trail over the hills, to avoid a bend. It proved an unwise experiment, as not much dis¬ 
tance was saved, and the steep precipices ascended and descended strained the heavily-laden 
beasts. Upon one cliff, the trail, for about a hundred yards, threaded the verge of a precipice, 
and a mis-step, or a slide of a few inches, would have plunged them down a chasm several hun¬ 
dred feet deep. It was curious to witness how fearlessly the sure-footed animals would stop to 
look over, and then quietly move on. Re-entering the valley of the river, we found a broad 
trail, supposed to have been made by the party of Lieut. Williamson on its way to the Colorado. 
Near by were large masses of dried grass and rushes, which may have been collected by Indians 
for winter huts and beds. Here the river was quite wide, and in places knee-deep. Its banks 
were of a rich loamy soil, covered with grass, reeds, willows, and thickets of mezquite trees. 
Keeping the trail, with the pack-train, we ascended an arroyo and crossed a spur of hills. 
The day had become warm, and the animals faint; therefore, finding good grass, we made a 
mid-day halt. Afterwards, proceeding to the river, we encamped, having plenty of mezquite 
wood, a stream of pure water, and good grazing for our animals in the valley. The survey 
followed the banks of the river, thirteen miles from last camp. For a portion of the distance 
the stream was lost beneath a sandy hed. 
One weary mule was to-day left by the roadside, and will probably make a good meal for the 
hungry Pai-Utes who are watching our movements. Many tracks, a few hours’ old, have been 
noticed proceeding from the hills to the valley. 
The night is serene. The moon shines upon a few fleecy clouds, which form colored coronas. 
There is not a breath of air to disturb the astronomical observations. 
March 11 —Camp 145.—Sunrise was unusually gorgeous, with various shades of crimson- 
tinted clouds, announcing the approach of a storm. The surveying party proceeded up the 
valley towards “Puuta del Agua,” on “the Spanish trail,” supposed to be ten miles ahead. 
With the packs we proposed to follow ; but, when prepared to start, it was reported, by the 
head packer for the escort, that one of his Mexicans herders had yesterday been left behind, 
alone and unarmed, in charge of two tired mules; and that he had not yet made his appearance. 
Defenceless, and with animals to tempt the cupidity of Indians, who in considerable numbers 
are evidently watching us, there could scarcely be a doubt of the fate of this poor man. How¬ 
ever, Lieutenant Jones, Lieutenant Stanley, Dr. Bigelow, ten soldiers, four Mexican packers, 
and seven persons belonging to the surveying corps, returned to search for him; Lieutenant 
Ives, with the rest of the escort, guarding the camp. Feeling anxiety, also, regarding the 
small detachment that had advanced with the survey, the remaining portion of the party pro¬ 
ceeded to join it. 
Above camp, the valley of the river became more fertile, the rich loamy soil producing herb¬ 
age and trees upon both banks of the stream. By an arroyo we ascended to a low mesa, cutting 
off a southern bend of the river, and traversed-the edge of a level prairie of great extent, 
covered with an abundance of green bunch-grass. Travelling slowly for a while, our mules 
fed until they were satisfied. Then again we entered the bottom-lands which spread out to the 
width of several miles, and while ascending the well-wooded banks night overtook us. Accord- 
