406 THE PRESIDIO Book II. 
their gigantic pannicles, covered with the richest profusion 
of large white bells, rising from a circle of stiff, radiant 
leaves, on a stem of ten to twelve feet in height. 
The village Julimas is a bathing-place of great repute 
in Northern Mexico, and we found here a numerous 
assemblage of our friends from Chihuahua. Among 
them was the apothecary Jaurrieta, a learned man, 
according to whose analysis the water of the spring con- 
tains a considerable amount of chloride of lime. There 
are seven different springs, varying in temperature from 
31° to 35° of Reaumur. An enormous agave grew on 
the margin of one ; but, not having taken its exact mea- 
surement, I fear being disbelieved if I name its apparent 
size. The warm steam from the adjacent spring was 
probably the cause of its unusual development. 
The Rio Conchos, near which Julimas is situated, is a 
clear stream, in which soft-shelled turtles are found. One 
measuring li foot in diameter was caught by one of 
our servants. It happened that a French gentleman 
living in this part of Mexico, the Marquis de V , was 
then in our camp, and he offered to make us some turtle- 
soup of superior quality. We possessed the ingredients he 
required, namely, Bordeaux, Madeira, vinegar, and spices, 
and, as the Marquis was a skilled gastronome, we had a 
dish, literally fit for a king ; and which was not the less 
enjoyed from being eaten out of tin plates, and lying 
on the ground. Our people afterwards, but with con- 
siderable trouble, caught a diver, a beautiful podiceps. 
The bird is unable to fly, and endeavoured to escape 
its pursuers by diving for long periods. 
Beyond Julimas, we had to make two forced marches, 
both of about ninety English miles, without water. The 
intervening watering-place, called El Chupadero, was a 
