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<br />4 REPORT OF AN EXPEDITION DOWN THE
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<br />BUREAU OF TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS,
<br />Washing/on, Feb. 7, 1853.
<br />. ~m: I have the h?nor to submit the Heport of the .Expe-
<br />dltlon dowll the Zuni nnd the Colorado, under Captam Sit-
<br />greaves, or the Corps of Topographical Engineers, called for
<br />by a resolution of the Senate of July Inst.
<br />Respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,
<br />J. J. AllERT,
<br />Colonel Corps Tup. Engineers.
<br />
<br />HOIl. C. M. CONRAD,
<br />SecTCtanJ of War.
<br />
<br />, 'V ASHINGTON, .Feln'uary 7, 1853.'
<br />SlIt: I uave the honor to submit the accompanying map of
<br />the route explored by me fi'om the pueblo of Zuni, New !\lex.::
<br />ico, to Camp Yuma, on the Colorado of t.he 'Vest, under
<br />instruction>! li'om you, of which the follo\ving is nn ext.ract:
<br />" The river Zuni is represented on good aut.hority to empty
<br />into Ihe Colorado, mid it has been partially explored by Lieu-
<br />tenant Simpson 10 the pueblo of Zuni. You will therefore go
<br />t.o that pbcc, which will be, in filct, the commpncing point of
<br />your exploring lnbors. From the pueblo of ZUlli YOllwill
<br />pursue the Zuni to its junction with the Colorado,determining
<br />its course Dnd character, particularly in reference to its navi-
<br />gable propcrties, <Inll to the character of its adjacent land and
<br />proJuctions. The junction of the Zuni Hml Colorado will be
<br />ncc;uratdy delermined. You will then pursue tbe Colorado
<br />to its junction with the Gulf of California, taking those obser-
<br />vntions which will enable you accurat.ely to delincate its
<br />course. "
<br />The part.y wns orgnnized at Santa F~, lll1d consisted of
<br />Lieulenant J. G. Parke, Topogmphical Engineers i S. W.
<br />Woodhouse, 1\1. D., physician and natumlist i Mr. n.H.
<br />Rem, draugh.t;;m~n i l\lr. Antoiuc Leroux, ~uide j five Ameri-
<br />cans and tcn MeXicans as pncJ;;crs and orfU:T'IS.
<br />As many mules as couJd he procured in time, suitable for
<br />t.he purpose, were purchnsed; hut these not beinlT suflleient,
<br />the ~\S~t'1t3Ilt q.uart~rnHlster :l~ S<lnla Fe fur~ishc(trnc, on my
<br />requlslllon, wllh forly addlllOlwl ones, wltll pack-saddles,
<br />~c. A portion of tbe provisions for the party \vcre obtained
<br />from the assislant commissary of subsistence al the same place
<br />The commanding officcr ill New j1Iexico being about to
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<br />. ., fh . ZUNI AND COLORADO RIVERS. ,"c,., 5 b4?
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<br />make an expedition ngainst the Navnjos, directed me to U\,,:ait
<br />his departure, so as to lake mh'antnge of the protectIOn
<br />afforded by his command as fill' ns our routes coincided, or
<br />until he could detach a proper escort for my party. The
<br />troops assembled at Santo Domingo, on the Rio Grande, and
<br />took up their march the,nce on the 1st August. On the 1st
<br />September we arrived nt the pueblo of Zuni, the point at
<br />which my exploration was to cOlTlmence.
<br />Colonel Sumner had detailed IiII' the escort Brevet l\Iajor
<br />H. L. Kendrick, 2d Artillery, with thirty men of his compa-
<br />ny, but they were not detached until arter they had accompa-
<br />nied 'him to Canon Bonito, tlJrce days' journey farther into the
<br />Navajo country. I was thus compelled to wait at Zuni until
<br />.the 24th September, consuming in the mean time part of the
<br />limited supplies provided for the cxpedition. The mules like-
<br />wise suffered from t.he delay, lur there was scarcely any
<br />grazing in. the immediate vicinity of the pueblo, and I did not
<br />deem it prudent t.o send t1J1~m .to f.I; distane~, as small pa~ties
<br />of NavaJOS had been seen lurkll1g 111 the neIghborhood. rhe
<br />mules of Major Kendrick's command were still more unfit to
<br />undertake a <lifficult march, lllallY of them baving been taken
<br />out of wagons after a journey of several weeks' duration.
<br />I can add very little to the infimnation affordcd by the map,
<br />almost the entire country traversed heing harren, and without
<br />general interest. Observations wilh the sextant wcre ma,de
<br />. as often as occasion ser\'eo; and the latitude and longitude of
<br />as many ,points delerminell as arc neccssnry to establish the
<br />line of inarch 'with flulllcicnt accuracy. Collections were
<br />made of such objects of natural history as could, be trans-
<br />ported with our Jimitcd fLlcilitics. Their description will be
<br />found in the reports hereto appended.
<br />. The expedition set out. li'Olll Zuni tbe 24th Sept.ember.
<br />The incidents of the journey are detujled in the following ex-
<br />traCts from my journal:
<br />September 24, Camp No. I.-Our first day's march was only
<br />six miles. It WLlS made thus shorllo enable us to correct any
<br />defects that might be dis,covered in t.he arningemcllt of the
<br />,packs. .
<br />The Zuni is a mere rivulet, and not entitled to the name of
<br />river j in most parts of our Gountry it would not be dignified
<br />with that or creek. The corn-fields of the Zuni Indians extend-
<br />ed at intervals for sevrral miles down the stream, their crops
<br />.and orchards being planted on the edge of the Y;:J Hey, or in
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