_September 7._--We found our fourteen animals were now very much fatigued. They have had no sleep from Fort Yuma to Carissa, while many of them have come with me all the way from Tucson in less than eight days; they had had no water for twenty-four hours, that is, from Alamo Mucho to this place, Carissa; here they filled themselves at once with the medicated waters of the creek, and thus destroyed their appetites, so that they would not eat a proper quantity of hay or grain. At 9 o’clock, when we left, they were very tired, sleepy, and unwilling to go. Under these circumstances, I decided to select the best animals from among our _mulada_, and push on over the coast range of mountains to San Diego with the mail, taking only one man with me; the coach would come the longer road, by way of San Ysabel. I put this decision in execution about 9 o’clock in the morning, and reached Vallecita at 2 p. m., where we procured something to eat, but could get none of the Indians to guide us over the mountains, as I had confidently calculated upon being able to do. There was no resource left us but to push on alone; so, taking minute directions where to find the best trail, we recommenced our journey, expecting to climb the mountains in time to reach Lassator’s ranch, in one of the valleys, by or before sunset. Our tired animals proved unequal to the required speed, so that after climbing the steep mule path which led up the mountain for several miles, we camped on our trail, in the middle of a splendid table land covered with pine trees, situated near the top of the mountains. The moon came up about 11 o’clock, giving enough light for us to keep the trail; once we chased a star for a mile, thinking it was a light in a hut; finally reaching the ranch without accident, or much detention on the way, at 2 o’clock in the morning. Tried to procure horses at once to proceed on to San Diego, but the animals were all turned out in the valley grazing and could not be had before morning. We reluctantly went to bed; and, once in the hay-stack, we slept soundly till daylight. Made 36 miles to-day. _September 8._--At 9 o’clock a. m. we left Lassator’s ranch with fresh animals, this time mounted on horses. After a toilsome day’s journey down the mountains, we reached San Diego at 10 o’clock p. m., bringing the first through mail which had reached here in schedule time. I had come myself from San Antonio to San Diego in thirty-eight days.