Page:Memoir of a tour to northern Mexico.djvu/38

[ 26 ] August I.–Travelled this morning about five miles, and camped between one and two miles off the river. This camping place is known as Fray Cristobal; but as there is neither house nor settlement here, and one may fix his camp close on or some distance from the river, the limits of Fray Cristobal are not so distinctly defined as those of a city, and generally the last camping place on or near the Rio del Norte before entering the Jornada del Muerto is understood by it. This awful Jornada, a distance of about 90 miles, with very little or without any water at all, has to be resorted to because the Rio del Norte below Fray Cristobal takes not only a very circuitous bend, but rough mountains, too, alongside of it, make it most difficult to follow the water-course. In the rainy season there is generally plenty of water in the Jornada, as everywhere else, but in the dry season often not a drop is found. The ridge-like elevation of the Jornada del Muerto above the surrounding country, as may be seen in the barometrical profile, seems to allow less accumulation of water on the surface than on other localities. Although the rainy season had not commenced, some showers had already preceded it, and we expected, therefore, to find some water at least, but were prepared for the worst. Having watered our animals once more on the river, and filled all our water casks, we started in the evening, and having travelled about 12 miles over a good firm road, we encamped without water. The general direction through the Jornada is nearly due south. To the right, or west of our road, in a distance of about five miles, runs a chain of mountains extending to the river; towards the east the Sierra Blanca, a long, high and steep mountain range, distant about 30 miles, is always in sight of us. The wide country between those two mountains, through which we have to travel, is a high plain, in the elevation of from four to five thousand feet above the sea, with dry, hard soil, tolerable grass, and an abundance of mezquite and palmillas. The latter grow here already to the height of from 10 to 12 feet, and give to the scenery some peculiar impression, reminding one of African landscapes. No other tree grows in the Jornada. The palmilla and mezquite furnish the only fuel.

August 2.–Started early tins morning, and halted, after 10 miles, near a place called Laguna del Muerto, because sometimes a water-pool is left here by the rains, but at present it was perfectly dry. About five miles west from here, at the foot of the mountains to our right, is a good spring, with running water, the so-called Ojo del Muerto. Whenever a traveller through the Jornada will not risk to rush through it in the shortest time, he drives his animals from here to the Ojo, and back to the road, because it is the only water to be depended upon. We left, therefore, all the wagons, with half of the men, in the camp, and the other half drove the whole stock of animals, from 400 to 500, to the Ojo. I joined the latter party. We rode at first over a sandy plain, where we saw many antelopes, and killed one, and then through a narrow gorge, or "cañon," till we reached the desired spring, under a cluster of cotton trees. The water was pure, but too warm. The bluffs were formed by a conglomerated granitic rock: the real mountain chain was more distant. On our return to