Chap. XL LAKES ON THE TABLE-LAND. 375 
is, however, remarkable that this lake is not given in any 
maps, at least not in any which I have been able to see. 1 
Persons well acquainted with this lake and its environs told 
me that in places on its shores the land is hollow and gives 
way, so that man and horse may be swallowed up. The 
situation of the lake is geographically interesting, since it 
occupies the summit of a central part of the table-land. 
Round it are the sources of brooks and rivers flowing to 
the four quarters of the world ; south and eastwards into 
the Rio Conchos, and subsequently into the Rio Grande ; 
westwards into the Rio Yaqui, which flows into the Gulf 
of California; northwards through the Rio del Carmen, 
the Rio de Santa Maria, the Rio de las Casas Grandes, 
and other streams, into a succession of lakes — the Laguna 
de Encinillas, Laguna de los Patos, Laguna del Cande- 
lario, Laguna de Santa Maria, and Laguna de Guzman. 
This region, with all these lakes, is the most unexplored 
part of Mexico. 
We travelled with this conducta in a north-westerly 
direction over the table- land, approaching a mountain chain 
which begins in this locality and continues north-north-west 
till we at last passed it at the Puerto de las Casas Coloradas, 
the Pass of the Red Houses. We might have gone round 
the southern extremity of this chain ; but our companions, 
whom we followed, feared the lower region, called Bajio del 
Chato, notorious through the crimes of the Indian chief. 
The Pass of the Red Houses is scarcely of less evil repute. 
In several places we found the remains of waggons which 
1 Mr. Herman Ehrenberg completed i California, by Herman Ehrenberg, C. E. 
his map, which he published at San j From his private notes, and those of 
Francisco, from my sketches and note3, j Major Heintzelman, Captain Sitgreaves, 
which I have likewise sent to the War ; Lieut. Derby, Bartlett, Gray, Julius 
Department at Washington. See ' Map I Froebel, and others. San Francisco, 
of the Gadsden Purchase, Sonora, and , 1854.' 
portions of New Mexico, Chihuahua, and | 
