<br />16
<br />
<br />REPOR'.r OF AN EXPEDITION DOWN THE
<br />
<br />se?n li"Jl" the first time since leaving the San Francisco moun-
<br />t.ams. ~ Here, too, we ~,~joyed the luxury of a bath and clean
<br />clothc~-a IllX~lfY not fully appreciable by those who have not
<br />gone a week without water to wash even their taces and hands.
<br />. Nv'vel/.,be7- 1, Camp No. 28.-In the morning one of the sen-
<br />llllels dBcoverecl. an Indian lurking about th I 1
<br />b .1 I' '. . e mu es, ant
<br />roug H 11m IIlto camp. He called him-nlf' a .. C .. "
<br />, JJ'II . . . . J "" OJnulO, was
<br />"\\.: .c. ~")t led 111 slllft, le~mll1.s, and moccasins of buckskin, and
<br />III" 11,111 . bound. ul") behind IIlto a (Iueue at' tel- th . f'
<br />I P II' f' C manner 0
<br />tIe. ue) () Ind!ans. A long half-rope wound around his
<br />W;:JIst gave. lllUfJlswl\eable evidence of his desians upon
<br />mules. Alter ~ short. time several others made Otheir a e:~~
<br />anc~ upon a neighbOring hill, and were induced by si~~s to
<br />ap~'~J.'~ch tl~c camp; but, when within two hundred yards,
<br />th: fil:;t Olll! sprang uP. and darted fi-om the midst of a dozen
<br />Tn.ell wl~o we~e s~andll1g around him, wielding an arrow
<br />dtawn from IllS. qUIver to 'prevent th~ir approach, and calling
<br />out 100!dly to . filii co.mparllons, who Immediately turned and
<br />fled: dtscharglll,g; their arrows into the herd and killing three
<br />of.lhc mules. 1 he men were then ordernd to fi . h
<br />I' I I . . " re upon t em,
<br />w. lie I t ICy dl(l wI~hout any appar~nt effect, although traces
<br />01 blood upon the 10C];:S shO\ved altenvards that one at least
<br />had bcclI wounded.
<br />
<br />"Novc~nber 2, Camp No.. 29.- \V e kept down the valley of the
<br />"y ,llnrm some twel.ve mtles, when, findillg that its course waS
<br />OLl.t 01 oLlr most. direct route, we diverged from it across a '
<br />Wide barrell plal~l, and. encamped without water, grass, or
<br />wo?d, tllC only fuel belllg the withered cacti with which the
<br />plul1l ahounded.
<br />
<br />.A nake~l esc~lrprnellt .o~ the side of the creek showed a
<br />stHlllHII. 01 grnlllte, cont[l\nll1~ il ~eat deal of li ld d
<br />1 . IT I... d . " . . ,e spar, un er-
<br />JlI1b I J~C tl ap, an a whitiS I te dspathic rock enclosing no-
<br />dllleso~ chalced?ny: Tl~e rest of the cOlmtry only exhibited
<br />the ll:;lI,d volcaniC lormatlon. . .
<br />. NOl'cm~btT3, CfI;,mp ,,!o 30.-Directly in our ti.ont was a bold
<br />lange, ~)f rnountnms, {rom the top of which we were sanguine
<br />of SC!.lIlg. Ilw Colorado. \Ve entered a rugaed and rfti It
<br />1)'J s - L 1 . I 'fl' I' 0 < (J cu
<br />c. '" . C \~ cell C I ,; all( pinnacles of gneiss, and attained the
<br />. SlImllllt after a IUllg and liJliguing ascent and the loss of seve-
<br />ral 111111.:,; that ";IV(; Ollt by the w.~v to be .' I' . -
<br />J . . ..." . '~J , agdll1 ( IsnppOlnt-
<br />Cl III hl'llldl.llllg, Instead at' tllc river, another extcnsi've am)
<br />dcslllalc: pl;lIl1, HlIll beyond it a similar' fonuiclable looking
<br />mOlinlull1 rang!.'.
<br />
<br />!'-"'.
<br />
<br />
<br />S,l
<br />
<br />ZURI AND COLORADO JUVEIlS.
<br />
<br />17
<br />
<br />\Vhile halting to rest the mules and endeavor to bring up
<br />those tbat were left on the road, Mr. Lerau:>;. turned off tQ
<br />ascend a higher peak, affording a more extended view of the
<br />country ahead; and, passing by a cluster of rocks, received,
<br />the discharge of a Hight of arrows fi'om n cOfJc,~ealedparty",
<br />of Indians. Three of the arrows took eRect, inflicting severe; . >
<br />wounds in the head and wrist, which caused himUlUch suf-," .
<br />Ie ring and clisabfed him lor the rest of the jourl"WYi/Whe In~:;
<br />Jians WCt'C driven from rock to rock, but alwqysCQntrived to""
<br />kce.p ?ut of rifle range; and, alter the pu~slli(~as~Qandol1eflt.
<br />as JrUlllcss, they returned as near as their salptywould per:- l,
<br />mit, watchiug our lllOVell1ents and making gestures of rage
<br />wHl defiauce. When the march was resumed they folIpwed lor
<br />a short dis.tanee, al?proachillg near el~ollgh to di~charge spQle
<br />arrows, Without dicet, attbe rear of tbe part.y. They were
<br />similarly clad and appearclI l? be of the same tribe as tl~l)se .
<br />last seen i some of the men, mdeed, thought they recoglllsed
<br />the one ,vho had been in our camp two 'days bCliJre.
<br />. November 4, Camp No. 31.-1\lany trees of tile Spaniah
<br />hayonet. scattered over the plain, varied the scene somewhat,
<br />but gave no relief to its aspect ot' barrenness i and anQther
<br />Di~ht passed, 'without gras~ or water, added to the suHerings
<br />oE the neafly exhausted ammals.
<br />Nave1llber 5, Cmllp No. 32.-The approach to the moun~,
<br />rains, befure' alhldell to, was by (i gradual ascent, so that
<br />when ,ve arrived at their base, therc did not remain much to '
<br />be Q\'ercome. The pass was ne\'crtheless exceedingly rough.
<br />and bordered by ovcrhanginQ cra~s, wh}ch it W,IS .deemed
<br />prud~Pt to occupy beli)re acl\'nnclIlg wllh the nloJo. W~
<br />passed through, however, unmolestcd, and were at length
<br />cheered by the view Ill' thc' Colorado, winding Jill' below
<br />tbrough a hroad valley, ilii cour~c till' many miles being appa-
<br />rent from tlle large trees uJlon its banks. The smoke of. nu:'.
<br />meroqs lires in the valley gave evidencc of a large Indian
<br />population, and tbe sight brought a spontaneous cheer li'olll
<br />lbe men, whu believed that this WflS to be Ihe end of their
<br />privation~ and uf the labor~ and anxieties of the journey.
<br />'rhe barometer showed us to be about 3,200 feet abo\'e the
<br />ri\'cr. 'fhe desccnt to it was rapid and continllolls, the slope
<br />.' of the mountain rcaching almost to its banks. .
<br />. A small travelling party of mi~erablc looking lndians was
<br />met ascending the mountain, one of whom, heiug too llIuch
<br />frightened, or too heavily laden to e;;c:I)le', was interrogaled bj'
<br />2
<br />
<br />.,
<br />/"
<br />
<br />'~i:...;.G.i..Ik~il'_it-, '
<br />
<br />-....wURij.'ii~:L~l;.i -:~." Ii 1Iiit<.i
<br />
|