Wages of 1 wagon-master, at $125 per month, for

40 days.....................................$166.66

Wages of 4 assistant wagon-masters, at

$60 per month, for 40 days...................320.00

Wages of 2 blacksmiths, at $80 per month, for

40 days......................................193.32

Wages of 8 herders, at $35 per month, for 40

days.........................................375.28

Wages of 50 teamsters, at $35 per month, for

40 days....................................2,333.00

Subsistence for 65 men, at 50 cents

per ration (110), for 40 days..............1,300.00

For shoeing mules, 800 shoes.................300.00

For shoeing mules, 40 pounds shoe nails, at 50

cents per pound..............................20.00

Cost of repairing wagons and harness.........525.00

Ferry on the Rio Colorado, 50 wagons,

$4 each crossing.............................400.00

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Total cost of train on trip...............12,546.26

Each wagon delivers at this post 2,500 pounds; 50 wagons, 125,000 pounds. Cost of transporting each pound of supplies from Fort yuma to Tucson, 10. 04 cents. You are aware that owing to the scarcity of water at some of the wells the train is divided into four parts, each under an assistant wagon-master.

NICHOLAS S. DAVIS,

Captain, First Infantry California Volunteers,

Acting Assistant Quartermaster and Chief of Transportation.

Examined.

Previous to ordering Captain Davis to make the foregoing report I made a careful estimate of the cost of transporting stores from Fort yuma to this place, and the result was that in my mind it cost 10 1/2 cents per pound, not taking into consideration the great loss, damage, deterioration, and leakage of stores on this most miserable of routes. No wagon can stand more than two years on such a road in such a climate. Mules break down in half the time they would in ordinary service. This will add at least 5 per cent. per month on the value of means of transportation to the cost of freight alone, a very important item. Captain Davis' estimate or rather report of the average cost of grain is the same as my estimate or rather report of the average cost of grain is the same as my estimate, but I think he reports the cost of hay too low. For example, he pays $15 per ton here, $55 per ton en route, and it costs $80. The hay costs oin an average over 2 1/3 cents per pound. This raises the price to 10. 41 cents per pound. Of the other items there can be no question, except perhaps in the item of subistence. I make the price of the ration here 46 1/2 cents, the bare ration, without including antiscorbutics or extra issues, and without taking into account the fact that jerked beef has to be issued in considerable quantities to teamsters, vedettes, expressmen, &c., both here and at Fort Yuma. Jerked beef costs 35 cents per pound. I issue only one-half pound, but at Fort Yuma they issue three-fourths of a pound to the ration, and though the teamsters get, say, one-third of their subistence at Fort Yuma, the average cost of the ration cannot be less than 40 cents. Deducting, then, the difference between 50 cents, as charged by Captain Davis, and 40 cents is equal to taking one-fifth of $1,300, equals $260 from the total cost of the train in its trip, which makes only a difference of twenty-hundredths of a cent, making, according to my estimate, the cost of the transportation of stores here 10. 21 cents per pound, not inluding items before mentioned.

Respectfully submitted.

D. FEGUSSON,

Major, First Cavalry California Volunteers, Commanding.

6 R R-VOL L, PT II