Qhap. III. NIGHT-WATCHES. 239 
and there is neither rain nor snow, the traveller soon finds 
such a bed comfortable enough : when it rains, shelter may 
be found under the waggons, unless you chance to drop 
into a puddle or a brook. The waggons are provided with 
a double covering of sailcloth, drawn over wooden hoops, 
and long enough to be pulled down to the point of the 
axletree : this forms a roof, under which, placed upon the 
axletree, the leathern harness can be kept dry ; and this 
is the place where the driver usually sleeps. 
I must observe that, as far as I was personally concerned, 
we were provided with a tent, which, together with a com- 
panion, I used during the first nights ; but as the trouble of 
putting it up and taking it down usually fell to my lot, and 
the tent mostly afforded shelter when it was least wanted, 
whereas in bad weather it was generally blown down by the 
wind, I gave up the use of this very questionable comfort. 
Our caravan had also two travelling-carriages in its train, 
which could be closed up and the seats converted into a 
couch. Half of one of these carriages was at my disposal. 
Thus I had the comfort of being able to drive and ride 
alternately ; but for my night-couch I generally preferred 
to lie on the ground in the open air, as it was disagreeable 
to be unable to see at any time what was passing around. 
I slept on a buffalo-skin, covered with a few blankets ; but 
I never took off my clothes at night during the whole 
journey, and my shoes only three or four times in the one 
hundred and five nights we spent on the road to Chihuahua. 
The night-watches are the severest part of these journeys, 
especially after forced marches, which a want of water 
sometimes compelled us to make. Even the constant fear 
of being surprised and scalped by an Indian has at times 
not prevented my falling asleep whilst standing at my post. 
During the whole journey, however, I only two or three 
i 
