The Arizona sentinel., 1892-04-09
Lost ON the Desert.
SoNoITA, SONORA, Mex,(
March Is, 1892.

U. S. A.
DEAR S1R:-On Feb. 9th, 1892,
w. Mcbride, P. Coleman and my
self started from Sonoita, Sonora,
Mex, on a prospecting trip into the
Yuma desert.
March lst, we left place called
Argus Duice, situated on the old
wagon road from Altar, Sonora, to
Yuma, about 4 O'Clock p. m. Next
morning about 9 a. m. we arrived
at an old dam, 26 miles westerly
of Argua Dulce, expecting to find
plenty of water there, according to
what people acquainted with the
road had told us-but were disap-
pointed.
After hunting in vain for water
for several hours we pushed ahead
on the road and found water, suf.
fcient for our purpose, in several
mud puddles two miles from Ell
Represo and we camped there for
the night.
Next morning, March Sd, P.
Coleman and myself started for a
range of mountains about five
miles north of our camp to pros
pect for mineral, leaving Mcbride
in charge of the camp.
1t rained heavily all that day,
with short intermissions of clear
weather, and when we returned to
camp, the heaviest shower yet fell,
surrounding US with a lake of
water.
AS this was getting most serious
we each took some provisions on
our back and made our way to
higher ground, leaving everything,
our two burros included, behind.
Next morning, March 4th, we all
started back to the camp, tried to
extract our animals from the mud
but soon found this task impossible
to accomplish. On the morning
Of March 5th, we met with better
success and managed to drag out
one Of our animals on to a safe
place. During the rest Of this day,
Mcbride made up his mind to
leave US and go afoot to the near
est point on the S. P. R. r., Adon-
de, it being rs miles distant and
water in two places; La Tenaja
del Tule and la Tenaja Altar.
Accordingly he struck out Sun
day morning, March 9th, and that
is the last we have seen of him.
We did not succeed in getting our
animals on to dry ground until
about noon, March 9th.
That evening at 7:15 o'clock p.
M. q had watch with me and ac-
cord1ng to an old habit of mine
have kept a record of our proceed
ings from day to day.) we started
for la Tenaia del Tule. The fol-
lowing morning about 10 a. m. I
found note from Mcbride, in
serted into sapling stuck in the
middle of the road, containing the
following:
"W. Mc.-Sand-wash. 1 found
no waiter and have been 1 or 2
miles ahead, but am going through
iff my ars hold out, but the waiter
may be farther on and 1 hope it is.
w. Nc"
I follow the spelling of the
original in this as well as the fol-
lowing note. C.S.
About 6 miles further on my
partner, P. Coleman, found the
tank we had been looking for
dry, and a second note at the foot
of an Ironwood tree, written by a
very shaky hand:
There is some grub in that tree
and a gum coat. No waiter in
country. W. Nc"
P. Coleman found all the bread
Mcbride had taken along rolled up
in the gum coat and at the foot of
the tree some dried beef.
My partner came back nearly
crazy and choking for water, Il
had gone to hunt him after hav-
ing looked for and found some
water, SO salty that it increased our
agonies) laid down and begged for
some water. We had gone ia:
enough, we could not save Nc. if
he had not pulled through and we
returned to Sonoita today, luckily
in time to catch the mail carrier
to A ltar.