_November 25._--Met the mail coach going west with the mail of November 9, from San Antonio; also passed to-day the working party of Colonel Leach’s expedition, who were building a road up the cañon, from the valley of the Rio Grande to the top of the Mesa. _November 26._--Reached Mesilla at 10 a. m., and immediately despatched the mail for San Diego by a messenger in waiting to carry it to Buchanan, one hundred miles below the Mesilla, where the train was waiting to carry it on to San Antonio. We have stocked this one hundred miles along the Rio Grande valley chiefly with horses; when we have a light mail we can express it through. I remained in the valley of the Rio Grande, passing to and fro in the course of business, from November 26 until December 24. During my absence in California, Mr. Giddings had done every thing possible for the line; I must say he could not have done more if he had been an owner. Furthermore, I am satisfied that few men could have done so well for us. At his agency in El Paso he came in contact with the mail men, who were running from San Antonio to that place, and did much to place things in order which had been neglected at San Antonio. On leaving Mr. Giddings I had promised him, upon the faith of the understanding that Mr. Birch was to meet me at San Diego, that I would bring back with me the cash necessary to pay up all claims against the line; but, as before explained, Mr. Birch did not meet me, I could not reach the supplies of money required, and was consequently compelled to return to the Rio Grande empty handed, relying on selling my drafts to cancel large amounts due to creditors in the valley. When I crossed the Rio Grande going west, on the 23d of August, I had twenty-four mules and two poor carriages; fourteen of these twenty-four animals belonged to Fort Davis.--(See journal, August 12.) When I recrossed the same river, November 27, coming east, I had left behind me quite a different state of things. The mail line had now nearly or quite two hundred head of mules west of the Rio Grande, stationed at San Diego, Carissa creek, Fort Yuma, Peterman’s, Maricopa wells, Tucson, and La Mesilla. At each of these places agencies or stations had been established, with abundant supplies of grain everywhere. We feed corn to all our working mules. I had made contracts for hay wherever the grass was likely to be short the coming winter. We had thirty-five mail carriers and agents along this part of the line; all well-armed border-men, carefully selected for their familiarity with this kind of service. We had seven coaches on the road, and three more building in San Diego, so that we could already take passengers through from ocean to ocean in stage coaches. I felt that I had carried out in spirit the agreement with your department to place a creditable service on the line, besides having complied with the letter of the contract in carrying the mail.