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Show 236 ThiB excurion did produce some useful r e s u l t s . Grand Echo Canyon, as they called the wash, was found to contain 2,500 acres of excellent mowing grass which Martineau estimated would yield four tons per acres. The wash consumed tbe runoff from the springs in Meadow Valley, but the stream here would spread out and sink only to r i s e again and sink a few miles further down the canyon. At each sink a lush meadow was created. Martineau's party also found considerable stands of ash and cottonwood timber which would be in demand when constuc-tion of the buildings began as well as for tool handles. Furthermore, Martineau believed the canyon could be made impregnable if fortified in the tradition of Mormon defense t a c t i c s. The reconnoitering party arrived in camp a t sundown and found the teams and wagons bad finally arrived from Desert Swamp Springs. The main camp had spent one night at the Desert Swamp, now dry. Pressing on, they recrossed the North Pahroc Range and made t h e i r way to Desert Spring Wells, where three weeks before they had so patiently laid by for hours dipping water from the holes they dug in the sand. But the wells had also gone dry. The Great Basin was entering i t s dry season and water was c r i t i c a l . Some of the company's animals received l i t t l e or nothing. The night of the 24th was spent at Bennett's Springs, and they arrived in Meadow Valley the following day. The Southern Exploring Company was united again. Unlike Bean, who liked to drop off his companies one at a time as soon as settlement sites were located, Dame preferred to keep his force together while scouts ranged over the country surrounding them. While Bean attempted to put bis men in three different settlements, Dame concentrated his entire expedition in Meadow Valley. President Dame a l s o spent the morning of tbe 26th making a reconnaissance. The colonel went to the north end of the valley and probed the Pioche Hills about four miles north of camp. Here he found a beautiful canyon with a |