_August 26._--Started at daylight. About 8 o’clock this morning, coming down through one of the many cañons leading from the Burre mountains, we found the mail coach which Captain Skillman had taken from San Antonio standing in our road. My first thought was, that another train had been cut off by the Indians, but an examination soon showed the nature of the accident; one of the hind wheels had evidently crushed down, and the two forward ones were gone. The wagon stood propped up carefully in the middle of the road. We concluded that Capt. Skillman had gone on with his two forward wheels, making what travellers term a “cache” among the surrounding rocks of all his spare articles. This we afterwards found to be the case. We stopped here only about as long as it takes to write the fact, then rolled away over the plaza on our journey. About sunset, we had a small sample of what might be suffered for want of water, if men were ignorant of the road. We had brought water from where we breakfasted to answer for our dinner uses, but the day had been very warm, and all of us had drunk very freely, until our canteens had become low. We were deceived by some wagon tracks into turning off from the main road, losing considerable time in finding our way back again, both men and mules being very thirsty. We found water in wagon ruts and holes in the ground. Down went men on the ground, mules and men both drinking in the same manner from the same holes. More accurate information as to distances, and the consequent preparation we now make for any portion of our journey, where we know there is a long stretch without water, does away with any danger from thirst, so far as the men and passengers are concerned; the mules sometimes have to go all day without water. Camped at 11 o’clock. Made 43 miles to-day. _August 27._--Off at 5.30 a. m. Crossed the Saur river this morning; found it quite a stream, and the land swampy on both sides, with plenty of water at the crossing. I had a splendid shot at a fine flock of wild ducks. At 4 p. m. we camped for dinner in the Chiracahui mountains at what is termed Apache Spring. Here we met the train of Paymaster Major Brice, _en route_ for Fort Bliss. He had been paying off the troops at Fort Buchanan. Showery this afternoon. About noon we saw the tracks of Captain Skillman’s two wheels; he was returning eastward; he took a different road from the one we came. I regretted missing him. This pass through the Chiracahui mountains is the most tedious of any we have on our road through Arizona, though this is only slow by comparison with the pass through the Sierra Madre. Though slow, the road is excellent, excepting for a short distance and the climbing of a number of steep hills.