293 I write you simply to keep you posted as to our progress by to morrow I will have most of the accounts, made out and for- warded to the comptroller, and glad to be able to say that unless the Indians steal our mules (which we must try and guard against I will be able to get through within the appropriation. We have now our entire outfit and six months provissions, and in addition there is some advances to the men in the way of nec- essary clothing &c together with some shoes and tobacco pur- chased which will be issued and charged to them upon the pay- roll, and yet I do not think my bills will amount to over five thousand dollars which will leave us some fifteen thousand dol- lars for the next six months provission & pay of officers. In this I do not include the $864 approved by me as you directed for Walker, the transit instruments are wholy unnecessary as Mr Clark has three setts. I wish you would appoint some person to receive them here as they will be useless and we are hard pressed for transportation The Theodolite and chain we will take with us Burleson delivered to me 23 mules one lame, and five poneys for which I receipted him. For the four teams and ambulance we will need eight additional mules, and about six for pack mules as there will be places where the surveying party will follow the one with pack mules where it would be impossible to go with wag- gons. I will purchase them tomorrow before closing my accounts for the comptroller The next six months provision will be forwarded to us in the Spring on the Pecos In adition to the amount actually expended upon leaving here I will either have to make an arangement by which I can get $2000 at El Paso or take it with me to pay the men their wages up to that time and to meet any necessary outlays that may come up. The Camp equipage you spoke to me about herE> is of no ac- count the tents are rotten and in rags I got some poles and by putting new pins in them made them answer one tent will "kinder" do and I take it The guns you promised me 12 riffles had better be for- warded by Stage as also 15 revolver pistols Relying upon them the men are wholly unprovided with arms, Let me know imedi- ately about the arms they should reach here by Monday next as we will start imediately upon the arrival of a box of Mr Clark's instruments and let me also know what to do with the transit
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