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<br />8
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<br />REPOR'l' OF AN EXPEDITION DOWN THE
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<br />places veins of fibrous gypsum were seen, looking like the
<br />Ice-crystals that burst open the ground in spring.
<br />Oclob~r 3, Camp f'!o. 10.-Our cours~ was here interrupted
<br />by 11 deep ~)ayou tlJlc~ly overgrown with rushes, and which,
<br />on aLtemptmg to .turn H, was found to lead to a roc~y ravine
<br />or cai'ion ut~crly Impass~ble. W e retrac~d our steps,. there-
<br />fore,. and with much difficulty recrossecf the river, which,
<br />makll1H a bend to t~le north, winds through a broad plain re-
<br />semblmg the bed ol a great lagoon from which the water had
<br />just subsided. leaving it slimy and intersected with fissures
<br />and channels that otLen impeded our progress. Here and
<br />there only a bush of the ,vild sage dotted its surface, and the
<br />surrounding hills appeared equally destitute of vegetation.
<br />OclO~eT 5, Camp No. 12,-The country on the north bank
<br />presentmg the same appearance of desolation as far as the
<br />eye coul.d discern. we again crossed the river, and. passing
<br />on to higher ground, encamped ?n a bayou near the edge of
<br />the valley. 'fhp. grass upon the hills was invariably better
<br />and more abundant than on tIle river bOltom, but the absence
<br />of wood and water in such places generally obliged us to
<br />make our ~amrs nel~r fhe river. The mules, particularly
<br />those of I\f,~or Kendnck.s command, already began to show
<br />signs of filtlgue. and their backs to become galled by the
<br />saddles.
<br />The army pack-saddle is of excellent materials and work-
<br />manslJip, huris detective in form. Its shape should approach
<br />mo~e !leady to that of the riding-saddle, so as to provide
<br />against a change in the condition of the animaL A saddle
<br />.may ans~ve~' ~'ery well for a horse or mule in good condition,
<br />which w1l11l1Jure the back when the animal becomes lean or
<br />changes ti'om a grain to an exclusive grass diet. Lieutenant
<br />Colonel Johnston informed me that he was in the habit of
<br />us.ing .with good reiH.llts the common Texas tree, provided
<br />\".nh the I~ecessary rmgs and ~traps. A good pack-saddle is
<br />still a deSideratum Il1 the serViCe.
<br />October 7, Camp' No. '13.-Many precipitous cai'ions were
<br />passed, enclosing within their walls of yellow sandstone
<br />clumps of small co!ton-wood trees. Ridges of lava and a
<br />black dust, thp. d~tntus of the lava, covering the ~round in
<br />many places, mdlcated our approach. to a volcamc !egion.
<br />Near our camp. on the bank of the flver, were the ruins of
<br />several stone hOllses, which the guide, l\Jr. Leroux,said re-
<br />sembled thosc of the l\Joqui Indians. .
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<br />ZUNI AND COLORADO mVERS.
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<br />9
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<br />October 8, Camp No. 14.......:.About a mile below the last
<br />camp the river fulls over a succession of horizontalleoges of
<br />sandstone, forming a beautiful cnscade of one hundred to one
<br />hundred and twenty feet in ,vertical height, and continues on
<br />its course through a cai'ion of that depth, the general level of
<br />the banks remaining the same. . .
<br />Having been informed by my guide and other experienced
<br />trappers that this canon extends down the river to its' jUI.1C-
<br />tion with the Colorado, lU1d the great canon through which
<br />the latter flows, I regarded the at!ernpt to follow t.h.e river to
<br />its mouth as too hazardous, consldenng the condlUon of the
<br />animals and the state of the supplies, and therefore, by the
<br />advice of the guide, turned off towards the mountains, with
<br />the purpose of striking the Colorado below the great canon,
<br />and then exploring it upward as far as might be found prac-
<br />ticable. Leaving the river then, we passed alon~ the base of
<br />high table lands, t~e. lava sand lying scvenil lIlc.hes .deep
<br />ppon the grou,nd, fillmg up th.e hollows, and fo:mmg .rldges
<br />across the plam; and, asce.ndll1g the plateau, fo.und It ~lso
<br />covered with the lava detritus, and all the promlllent pOInts
<br />occupied by the ruins of stone houses of con:3iderable size,
<br />and 10 some instances pI' three stones in height. They are
<br />evidently the remains of a large town, as they occurred at in-
<br />tervals for an extent of eight or nine miles. and the ground
<br />was thicldy strewed with fragments of pottery in all direc-
<br />tions. The fact that no vestige of water could be discovered
<br />in the vicinity sufficiently accounts for their present dep~pu-
<br />lation. The encroachment of the lava sand blown down from
<br />the adjacent mountains may have gradually filled up the '
<br />sprinas and water-courses; it is certain, at. any rate, that the
<br />heav~st rains would now be rapidly llhsorbed b)r it, and
<br />after a day or two leave no trace of water upon tbe surface.
<br />The houses resemble in all respects (except that adobes do
<br />not appear to have been at all used in t~eir construction)
<br />those of the existing pueblos of New MexIco; and the pot-
<br />tery, of a great variety of fabric and pattern, is similar to that
<br />now in use among them.
<br />October 9, Carnz) No. 15.-Pursuing our way still further
<br />into the mountains, the ruins became of rarer occurrence, or
<br />else w~re concealed by the cedars with which the hills were
<br />coveTed. A small pool of water was discovered under an
<br />. overhanging rock, out of which the men as they came up fi.lled
<br />-their canteens i and, as the water was not thereby sen:llbly
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