except to hear of the hay that they have cut being all washed away. I will know on the 26th whether my fears are realized or not; also about Mr. Rhodes' cattle. Keene should be here to-morrow if no accident has happened to him. He has now been gone fourteen days; he calculated to make the round trip in ten days. The steam-boat is below, and them I am also anxious to hear from. If they have landed the stores on shore, it is reasonable to suppose that they will be lost, or a portion of them, if the boat itself is not in great dnager. This unprecedented rise has been so sudden that no caluclation could be made for it, and everything has been swept away by its irresistible current. The fear is that she will not be able to get wood and no place of shelter to run into or to tie up to. Lieutenant Benson, who was with the boat the last trip, thinks that her situation must be a critical one. I will send one of the Indians down to-morrow in a boat to look for her, and take Captain Johnson's news of the loss of their property here and, if possible, bring tidings of her back. It will take a long time to get a small boat back from there-at least two weeks in this current-and sunce the overflow land communication is cut off with the mouth of the river; but if he is all safe he will return at once with a load of stores for this post, and the vessels will have to lay there until he returns. At this stage of water he certainly cannot land them there. As soon as I can hear from him I will write to you, also in reference to all other matters. The Hoffman trail from here to Gaston at present is impassable. The water yesterday between the post and the lagoon (six miles) in some places was fifteen feet deept. I took one man out from his house (Larkin) who was in water up to his middle. Two squaws swam to the post from Reeds'-over a mile. The Indians, it is feared, have lost all of their crops and taken to thei high lands. Much suffering mut result to them. They are all off, and cannot come here until the waters fall, which, however, I am happy to state, is going on rapidly. The river has fallen four feet since 2 o'clock this morning. I send this communication to you by an Indian who goes as far as Pilot Knob in a boat with the Indian who goes to the mouth of the river. He will take a horse from Pasqual (chief of the Yumas), and go on if the road is passable for a horse; if not, he will go on foot as far as San Felipe, from which place Mr. Gregor will have it forwarded to Camp Wright. The San Bernardino route, I should thin, would be best now for quick communication to this point. I respectfully suggest this, from the fact that both Doctor Prentiss and Lieutenant Nichols made quick trips (four and a half days) from there here, and Doctor Dickey thinks it could be made in less time with ease. The general court-martial has met and adjourned for three days. No orders have been received here in relation to the change of the judge-advocate, substituting Doctor Mecham for Doctor Prentiss except a notice to that effect recalling Doctor Prentiss. Captain Dresher is absent in command of a detachment with the boat. I sent him instead of a junior because he was too unwell for garrison duty. Lieutenant MacGowan, who is one of the detail, is himself in arrest by Lieutenant Colonel J. R. West, leaving but five to form the court. I would also respectfully call the attention of the colonel to the fact that the charges against Jones and others have not been sent here as yet. I cannot give you positive information about the hay Mr. Yager expected to have at Cooke's Wells. He cannot hear from that point until the water recedes, which, it is thought by him, will take a week. We are now perfectly safe from any attack from any enemy, being surrounded by water. As soon as I can get returns from

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