.

_December 21_.--Clear and pleasant. A foot march was ordered, with the
exception of the horse and baggage guard. We marched several miles
through a winding hollow, passing a deserted rancho, and ascending with
much labour a steep ridge of hills, descending which we entered a
handsome valley, and encamped upon a small stream about four miles from
the mission of St. Ynes. The banks of the _arroyo_ are strewn with dead
and prostrate timber, the trees, large and small, having been
overthrown by tornados. The plain has suffered, like much of the
country we have passed through, by a long-continued drought, but the
composition of the soil is such as indicates fertility, and from the
effects of the late rains the grass is springing up with great
luxuriance, from places which before were entirely denuded of
vegetation. A party was sent from camp to inspect the mission, but
returned without making any important discoveries. Our horses are so
weak that many of them are unable to carry their saddles, and were left
on the road as usual. A man had his leg broken on the march to-day, by
the kick of a mule. He was sent back to the rancho of Mr. Faxon.
Distance 15 miles.

_December 22_.--Clear and pleasant. Being of the party which performed
rear-guard duty to-day, with orders to bring in all stragglers, we did
not leave camp until several hours after the main body had left. The
horses of the _caballada_ and the pack-animals were continually giving
out and refusing to proceed. Parties of men, exhausted, lay down upon
the ground, and it was with much urging, and sometimes with peremptory
commands only, that they could be prevailed upon to proceed. The
country bears the same marks of drought heretofore described, but fresh
vegetation is now springing up and appears vigorous. A large
horse-trail loading into one of the _canadas_ of the mountains on our
left was discovered by the scouts, and a party was dispatched to trace
it. We passed one deserted rancho, and reached camp between nine and
ten o'clock at night, having forced in all the men and most of the
horses and pack-mules. Distance 15 miles.

_December 23_.--Rain fell steadily and heavily the entire day. A small
party of men was in advance. Discovering in a brushy valley two Indians
armed with bows and arrows, they were taken prisoners. Learning from
them that there was a _caballada_ of horses secreted in one of the
_canadas_, they continued on about ten miles, and found about