OCR Text |
Show 78 Ex. Doc. No. 41. makin.,. seventeen miles, we found ourselves cncompassecl by hills much diminished in height, but not in abruptne s. The rood, eJc:. cept the deep dust which occasionally gave way and lowered a m ulc to hi knee, was good, that 1 , there wcr.c no lldls to scale. The river wa rros. cd and re-crossed four limes. At 12 and 14 miles there were good patches of grama, burned quite yellow, but for most of the way, and at our camp, there wa little or no grass, and our mules were turned loose to pick what they could of rushe• and willow along th margin of the trcam. Wherever the formation was eJc:poscd along the riYer, it was a conglomerate of sandstone, lime and pebbles, with deep caverns. Nearly oppo. ite our camp of this date, and about one-third the distance up the hill, there crops out ore of copper and iron, easily worked, the carbonate of lime and calcareous spar. A continuation of the vein of ore was found on the side where we encamped, and a large knoll strewed with what the Spaniards call guia, the Engli, h of which is "guide to gold." The night has set in clarlc: and stormy; the wind blows in gusts from the southwest, and the rain falling ia good arnest, mingled with the rustling noise of the Gila, which has now become swift anti impetuous, produces on us, who have so long bean accustomed to a tranquil atmosphere, quite the impress of a tempe t. We have b .en so long without rain as to cease to expect or make provision against it, and the consequence is the greatest difficulty in getting rthatei omn en. to provi.Ic coverings for the destructible portion of our Three Indians hailed us just before mal ing camp, and after much parley were brought in. 'l'hcy feasted heartily, and promised to bring in mules. At first they denied having any; but after their appetite: were satisfied, their hearts opened, and they sent the youngest of their party to their town, wh:ch was at the l1ead of the dry creek of our camp, of ll1e night before lnst. The fellow went on his way, a, directed, till he met the howitzers, which so filled him with surprise nne! ron tcrnation that he forgot his mission, and followed the guns to ramp in mute wonder. These people arc of the Pinon Lano (pi1ion wood) tribe, and we had been told mbyu l<th' e. l'inoleros (pinole eaters) that the chief of this band bad turlk•i'lei~g,h tfsr oomf gweheisceh waned g omt yorniea.d s of the blue quail, and a flock of TIIc river bed, at the junction of the an Pedro, was seamed with wtrialdck .h oogf .d eer ani! turkey; some signs of beaver and one trail of Our camp was on allat, sandy plain, of small CJc:tent, at the mouth of a dry creek1 with dee].' washed banks, giving the appearance of conta~ntng at tnncs a rapHI and powerful stream, although no water was VISible In th heel. At the junction, a clear, pure stream II owed from under the sand. From the many indications of gold and copper ore at tins place, I Ita vc named it Mineral creek· and I doubt not, a few year will sec lint boats clesccncling the 1~iYer from tl1is po1ut to Its mouth, freighted with its precious ores. |