[I will here add a brief sketch of the manner in which I had planned to send the mail through to San Diego. In my instructions of June 20 to Mr. R. E. Doyle, I had requested him to make all his arrangements to send the mails from San Diego as far east as the Pimos villages. In my plan of operation, taking San Antonio as the starting point, I would work westwardly, while with his plan of operation, with San Diego as the basis, he would work eastwardly, I proposed to make the connexions between the two systems at the Pimos villages. I calculated that Captain Skillman would reach these Pimos villages about the 17th of August, (he reached there August 20;) furthermore, that he could meet there the mail of August 9 from San Diego, and then he would return to El Paso in time to make the through connexion there with the mail train from San Antonio, which train I undertook to have in waiting. Owing to circumstances entirely beyond my control, and likely to arise only in a pioneer trip, the mail from San Diego failed to make the connexion at the Pimos villages by thirty-six hours. It was a part of the plan that Captain Skillman should purchase a complete new outfit of mules at El Paso, which he was unable to do. At Cook’s Wells he overtook the mail of July 9 from San Antonio, waiting for an escort. The two trains proceeded together under charge of Captain Skillman as far as the Pimos villages, at which point the conductor of the mail of July 9 pushed on to San Diego with both mails, reaching his destination at 11 a. m. August 30. I have found no reason, as yet, to alter the system of mail connexion referred to in this note, though the place where we now join the eastern and western management is at Tucson, Arizona Territory. One hundred miles west of the Pimos villages each carrier now delivers the mails, and retraces the road with the return mail.] _July 29._--Since my arrival in San Antonio, I had made every possible exertion to procure mules adapted to the purpose of staging. I drove about the country myself, and sent agents to purchase wherever we heard of any good mules for sale. As yet, the right kind come in slowly. [There was another view which I took of my position as superintendent of the line, and one which governed me throughout in all my exertions. It was this: