_November 15._--Quite a change has taken place since my passing here on the 1st of September. At that time I left two men, with two mules and accoutrements, a few rations, a little cotton cloth, and a few beads for barter, also a little money. Now I found a comfortable house built by putting upright poles in the ground, thatching them with tules, and covering the sides with the same. The agent had also put up a decent brush corral in which to keep our animals safe at night, for we are liable here to inroads from the Tonte Apaches. Had a conference to-day with the Indians, who had been for a number of weeks around our post enquiring anxiously for my coming. They now squatted to have a smoke and get some presents. They informed me through an interpreter, who spoke very decent Spanish, that all the grass and the water and the land around us belonged to their tribe; that I must pay them for protecting as well as for feeding all of the many mules they saw grazing about there daily, which they found it convenient to consider as mine personally. I had promised them, when going west, that on my way back we would have this talk, and as far as possible prepared myself for them at San Diego. I gave such of them special presents as had particularly aided our agents during my absence. I fed the principal, gave all the warriors plugs of tobacco, beads, and cotton cloth, and presented the head chief and interpreter with suitable presents of shirts and fancy colored handkerchiefs. About sunset, finding that the talking, smoking, and feeding was over, and realizing the certainty of procuring no more presents to-day, the Indians shook hands with us and went off. Such of them as had horses rode them bare back, but the bulk of the warriors were footmen. _November 16._--Left the Maricopa station, on our way to Tucson, with three coaches, forty-nine animals, and twelve men. To-day met the mail of October 24 from San Antonio. _November 17._--Reached Tucson at 11½ p.m. Found train from La Mesilla waiting for the mail. _November 19._--Started from Tucson with three coaches, forty-six animals, and sixteen men, including our passengers. I also had in charge the mail of November 9 from San Diego, for which I had waited at our Maricopa station. I was now retracing my steps to La Mesilla, through the same country I had passed over in August, and, with a few unimportant variations, by nearly the same road. Then it was the rainy season, with showers almost every day; now it was the commencement of winter, with occasional northers. On both trips I found the gramma grass excellent in quality and abundant in quantity. There is plenty of water for our purposes, with wood enough for cooking, and comfortable sleeping on the ground in our blankets. _November 24._--I met Mr. Hutton at Ojo La Vaca; he is engineer of the El Paso and Fort Yuma wagon road expedition, and was examining the country very carefully to select the best line for a road, and was progressing finely.