REPORT. 
Instructions from the Secretary of War—Organization of party.—Route from San Diego to Pimas villages.—Pimas. and Mari- 
copas Villages, and Indians.—El Picacho mountain.—First appearance of cotton-wood after leaving the Gila.—Tuczon; its 
inhabitants and their occupation.—Meteorite found in canon of Santa Rita mountains.—Its analysis by Prof. Charles U. 
Shepard.—Attentions received from commanding officers at Tuczon.—Country between the Tuczon and San Pedro rivers.— 
San Pedro valley.—Dos Cabezas.—Playa de los Pimas.—Trails of Caballados.—Visits from Indians.—Characteristics of the 
valleys.—Cook’s trail.—Ojo de Vaca.—Rio Mimbres.—Startling intelligence from Fort Webster.—Mesilla valley.—Mesilla.— 
Explanation of map.—Profile of country.—Timber.—Building-stone.—Water.—Barometrical measurements with reduced 
approximate altitudes.—Appendix. 
Washington, D. C., August 22, 1854. 
Sir : I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the party intrusted 
to my charge, for the examination and survey of railroad route to the Pacific, in obedience to 
the following instructions: 
“War Department, 
“ Washington, November 18, 1853. 
“Sir: The President of Mexico has given to this government authority to make surveys 
within the Mexican territory, in connection with examinations of railroad routes to the Pacific, 
and you are selected to make such a survey, in accordance with the instructions below, provided 
a suitable party can, as is believed, he organized with the means which will be placed at your 
disposal. 
“For this purpose a draft on the assistant treasurer at San Francisco for five thousand dollars 
is herewith enclosed to you, and orders have been given to Lieutenant Williamson to supply 
you with all the funds he can spare, and all the animals, equipments, &c., which may be dis¬ 
posable for the object, on the disbanding of his party. 
“A similar order has been given to Lieutenant Whipple, though it is hardly expected that 
aid from him will be necessary should these instructions reach you before the party of Lieu¬ 
tenant Williamson is disbanded." If, however, Lieutenant Williamson should have sold his an¬ 
imals and equipments, you may find Lieutenant Whipple’s assistance essential to your success. 
It is to be distinctly understood that neither of those officers is to deprive himself of anything 
necessary to the prompt completion of his report. The organization and outfit of your party 
are to be completed on the most economical scale that can be prudently adopted. 
“The necessary orders have been given for the detail of an escort, and supplies for the same. 
“You will confer with Lieutenant Williamson upon everything relating to the organization 
and outfit of your party, and to your plans for the prosecution of the work. 
“You will use the utmost despatch in commencing and prosecuting the duty assigned to you, 
and observe the following instructions in regard to it: 
“Referring to a sketch from the office of the Mexican boundary survey, hereto annexed, you 
will commence the barometric levellings on the Gila, a little above ‘ Pimas village,’ at a place 
marked ‘Dry creek;’ follow the line by ‘ Tucson,’ thence by blue line marked ‘Nugent’s wagon 
trail,’ to angle in red dotted line marked ‘ Brackish pools,’ east of Salt lake. 
“It may be that a shorter and better line exists from the point of departure on the Gila to 
the point on the San Pedro where blue line, or Nugent’s wagon trail, strikes at. The mount¬ 
ains in that cut-off are described to be generally parallel to the river San Pedro, and the belief 
exists that a goood route can be found through them on the line indicated. 
