Journal of the Southwest

The "Lost" 1907 Pinacate Diary of Godfrey G. Sykes

Author(s): Godfrey G. Sykes and Diane Boyer
Source: Journal of the Southwest, Vol. 49, No. 2, Science on Desert and Lava: A Pinacate
Centennial, Part 1 (Summer, 2007), pp. 165-187
Published by: Journal of the Southwest
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40170430 .
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The "Lost*1907 Pinacate Diary

of GodfreyG. Sykes
Diane

Boyer

Godfrey Sykes did not keep a diary while on the 1907 Carnegie Desert
Botanical Laboratory expedition to the Pinacate. At least that was what
his son Glenton maintainedthroughout his life (interview by Bill Broyles,
November 30, 1984). While Glenton was a skilled storyteller, he was
also self-deprecating, never feeling a need to be on center stage in his
own tales, so it was not surprising that he would place his father in the
same modest light. Glenton speculatedthat his fatherdeferredto William
Hornaday as an author and trip leader, so did not bother with a journal.
He noted the absence of entries in Godfrey's daily diary from November
1 to December 6, and the presence of a smaller,pocket notebook which
contained Godfrey's survey notes on the expedition, but no narrative.
Hornaday's book, the classic Camp-Vireson Desert and Lava, contained
that whole story, and that was plenty, as far as Glenton knew.
As it turns out, Glenton was wrong. After Godfrey died on December
23, 1948, his two sons, Glenton and younger brother Gilbert, split his
possessions, including his many diaries. Both Glenton and Gilbert were
busy with their careers and families, and had neither the time nor the
emotional energy to read through the thousands of pages of documents
their father had created; it was difficult enough just to divide them. In
the 1970s, both sons loaned their sets of Godfrey's diaries to the Huntington Libraryin San Marino, California,which microfilmed them and
returned the originals. Gilbert died in 1983, Glenton in 1986. In 1990,
I purchased from the Huntington a copy of one of the microfilm reels of
diaries Gilbert had owned, interested in an 1892 diary that it contained.
Diane Boyer, one of Glenton Sykes' granddaughters, considers Glcnton-led
family camping trips to the Pinacate to be among her favorite memories.
She stands on her head whenever she climbs Pinacate Peak, in homage to both
ancestor and beetle, although not necessarilyin that order. With Robert H. Webb,
she is co-author of Damming Grand Canyon: The 1923 USGS ColoradoRiver
Expedition (2007). She wishes to thank Georgiana Boyer and Steve Hayden for
their assistance in preparing this article, and Jocelyn Sykes Cushman for permission
to publish the diary.
Journal of the Southwest49,2 (Summer 2007) : 165-187

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166 * Journal

of the Southwest

But it wasn't until 2005 that I got around to looking at the rest of the
minimallylabeled reel. Much to my surprise,it contained Godfrey'sPinacate diaryof 1907, included as part of a daily diary for the year. Evidently
in 1907, Godfrey maintained two such diary books, possibly intending
to send one to relatives in England. The copy that Glenton inherited
lacked the Pinacateentries. When I trackeddown Gilbert's original copy,
I also discovered a thin red leatherette memo book that documented, in
smeared and faint pencil, two 1907 trips, one to the Salton Sea and the
other to the Pinacate. This is almost certainlythe original document that
Godfreycarriedwith him to the Pinacate.It is smallerand more worn than
his bound, neatly written-in-ink diary, and includes a sketch of Molina
Crater along with a note on the "circumferenceof Coles' wagon wheel
with odometer." Whether Gilbert knew of the existence of the Pinacate
diaries I do not know. I prepared the transcriptionthat follows from the
easier-to-read ink copy, then checked it against the pencil original. The
two were nearly identical; where there were differences (and all were
minor), I used the more complete version.
But before we get to the diary, let's take a brief look at the life of
Godfrey Sykes.
Godfrey Glenton Sykes was born in England on May 25, 1861. His
father, also named Godfrey, worked as an artist for the Victoria and
Albert Museum in London. Godfrey the artist died of tuberculosis
in 1866, and his widow, Ellen PalfreymanSykes, and two young sons
moved to Wolverhampton in Yorkshire.Godfrey grew up observing the
town's many tinkerers and acquired the knack of tinkering himself; he
also studied engineering in school. When his mother died in 1879, the
eighteen-year-oldGodfrey decided it was time to head to America,taking
a boat to New York. He traveled around the country, trying his hand at
cowboying and construction. Godfrey's younger brother, Stanley, also
an "embryonic Engineerling" (Godfrey Sykes 1944:143) joined him in
America in the early 1880s. In 1886 the brothers rode into Flagstaff,
Arizona Territory,on their reliable horses, and set up a cow camp a short
distanceeast of town at a spot called TurkeyTanks.A lost botanist named
Daniel T. MacDougal happened to wander into their camp one day in
1891, and the men became friends, staying in contact throughout the
years (Glenton Sykes 1977).
During the 1880s and early 1890s, Godfrey alternated working
in northern Arizona with globetrotting. In exchange for passage, he
volunteered to work on ships going around the world, acquiring skill
in both oceanic navigation and engine repair. He worked as a hydrau-

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Sykes' Pinacate Diary

<

167

WhenGodfreyand Stanley Sykesfirst moved to the Flagstaff area,in 1886, they

settled at this cabin at TurkeyTanks,east of town. Even after theymoved into
town, theystill came to the cabinfrom time to time, often with visitors.In this
photograph,ca. 1897, from left to right: Andrew Ellicott Douglass (later a
scientist of some renown in astronomyand dendrochronology),GodfreySykeswith
son Glenton, Emma Sykes,and Mrs. LouiseMacDougal. Thephotographerwas
probablynone otherthan Daniel T. MacDougal. (Photocourtesyof Diane Boyer)

lie and mining engineer in Japanand Australia(Cattell and Cattell

1927:961). He occasionallyran Thomas Ream'stradingpost on the
Hopi Reservation.He began exploringthe lower ColoradoRiverand
delta,a region that would captivatehim (Boyer2007). He befriended
people of all classesand educationlevels, a skillthat would serve him
well throughouthis life.

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168 ^ Journal of the Southwest

Thisphotographof the
happycoupleas "desperados"was probablytaken
in England, a year or
two beforeGodfreySykes
and Emma Walmisley
were married in 1895.
In the real Wild West,
Godfreyseldomworea
hat and never carried
afun. (Photocourtesy
of Diane Boyer)

In 1895, Sykes,by this time a part-timeFlagstafftown residentwith

a fix-it shop calledMakersand Mendersof Anything,marriedEmma
his Englishsweetheartof manyyears.Emmie- a petite,
MaryWalmisley,
womanwith dreamyeyes,yardsof thickhair,anda trained
forty-year-old
contraltovoice- was as devotedto her husbandas he was to her.Their
sons, Glenton and Gilbert,were born in 1896 and 1900, respectively.
Emmiesufferedfromrheumaticheartdisease,whichwasprobablyexacerbatedby two pregnanciesin herforties,aswellasFlagstaff's7,000-foot
elevation.The familyleft Flagstaffin 1905 for the medicallymandated
loweraltitudeof Pasadena,California.In the meantime,MacDougalhad
becomedirectorof the nascentCarnegieDesertBotanicalLaboratoryin
Tucson,Arizona.He offeredGodfreya position as "buildingsuperintendent"(a job thatincludednot only overseeingconstruction,but also
maintainingand repairingthe laboratory'sobstreperousautomobiles),
and he accepted.In January1906, the Sykesfamilymoved to Tucson,
returninglaterin the yearto Pasadena,whereGodfreywould supervise
the buildingof the roadup to the Mt. WilsonAstronomicalObservatory.
Emmiedied in September,leavingbehinda shatteredhusbandandtwo
young sons, who all threereturnedto Tucsona few monthslater.

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tykes'Pinacate Diary < 169

Sykes resumed his many tasks at the Desert Laboratory.When MacDougal and Hornaday hatched the idea of a Pinacate expedition earlyin
1907, Godfrey was added to the roster of men immediately. His job, as
MacDougal wrote to Hornaday on September 19, 1907, was to "be in
charge of the entire outfit." Sykes, who by then included "geographer"
as one of his many hats, would also make a map of the region.
When the Pinacate expedition set off that November, Godfrey was
still dealing with his grief and the realityof being a single father.Glenton
and Gilbert, while only eleven and seven respectively, had been raised
to be responsible, self-sufficientlads. They lived in a tent camp adjacent
to the Desert Laboratory property, directly across the street from St.
Mary's Hospital. Godfrey reluctantly decided that Glenton and Gilbert
could take care of themselves if he made a few arrangements;the boys
enthusiasticallyagreed. They could purchase groceries and sundries on
account at Steinfeld's general store downtown. They knew how to cook
over an open fire. And while they were far too short to toss the saddle on
the back of their 1,700-pound draft horse, they could hoist the saddle
up into a tree and then position the horse under it, lower the saddle, and
fasten the girth. Godfrey arrangedfor the boys to take lunch with the St.
Mary's Hospital nuns, to ensure that they would have at least one square
meal a day (Glenton Sykes 1977), and a neighbor, GraceLivingston (wife
of Desert Laboratoryplant physiologist Burton Livingston), kept an eye
on them as well. The boys had the time of their lives.
In comparing Godfrey's journal with Camp-Fireson Desert and Lava,
the reader will find many differences, as one would expect. Hornaday's
book is, of course, farmore detailed and colorful, describing many events
that Sykes does not even mention, and invariablyincluding the activities
of the four principals(Hornaday, MacDougal, John Phillips, and Sykes)
and, to a lesser extent, the other participants(Jeff Milton, CharlieFoster,
Jesse Jenkins, George Saunders, Frank Cole, and Rube Daniels). Sykes'
Pinacate diary is like most of his other diaries: he tends to cryptically
note the weather, major events and accomplishments, how many miles
he traveled (based on pedometers), and aneroid barometer readings,
only occasionally noting the activities of others. For some events, the
two accounts vary as to specifics, such as date or time. Some of these
differences may simply reflect who recorded what on any given day; it
is also possible that Hornaday altered some details slightly to better fit
the cadence of his storyline.
Sykesliked to walk, and his diaryreflectsthat passion. He walkedto the
Gulf of California(Sea of Cortez) and climbed many small hills- almost

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s
Ui

ffi

I
1
I
?

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fykes'Pinacate Diary -fr 171

invariablyalone- ostensibly to check his aneroid, but he did it for the
pleasureof the journey and for the view as much as anything.When Sykes
went up the summit of SierraCubabi near Sonoyta, Hornaday reported
that he was "relieved that the rest of the party was not compelled to
climb old Cubabi merely to oblige a skeptical aneroid" ^^^^.
(Hornaday 1908: 103). In this case, Sykes may have jjr^\l
had an ulterior motive: the U.S. hydrographic charts of |f _
M
the time gave the elevation as 9,457 feet. When Sykes ^^Hp
climbed it, he measured the peak's height at 4,325 feet
^^^Bl

(MacDougal1908: 712). MacDougal,Phillips,and ^^^^fljH^^^.

Hornadayall had plannedto walkto the gulf, ^^^^^B^^St^
but when the time came,selectedsheephunt- ^^^Br^
*^5I
\\^
ing insteadof whattheypresumedwould be ^B^s''*1/"**''*'
a two-dayjauntacrossthe dunes. Sykesleft ^^EL
>^
jj
campwithout telling anyonewhere he was Rfe^
s^Tm*!^ *m
going, but his companionscorrectlyguessed ^^1*^*
*^5f
33
his destinationandwerenot surprisedto find ^H^sLc^.
^^JibB
him in his bedrollthe next morning(Horna- ^JE^ycHhhH^H
day 1908: 237-40). Sykeswould never have ^Bfe|^gHjj^

chosen hunting over a good walk; he was decidedly

not a hunter, avoiding it whenever possible. When GodfreySykes'Short &
he carried the carcass of a sheep that Phillips had Mason "Tycos"aneroid
barometer.This may be
shot down a cholla-studded hill, he did so out of a the instrument he
carried
strong belief that animals slaughtered should also to the Pinacate in 1907.
be eaten.
(Photocourtesyof Diane
One curious omission from Sykes' diary is the Boyer)
encounter with Japanesetravelerson November 1 1
(Hornaday 1908:124-29). Sykes had become extremely fond of Japanese people and culture during his visit to Japan in the 1880s, proudly
employed Japaneselaborersfor the building of the Mt. Wilson Observatory road, and was greatly distressed by the prevailingAmerican attitude
toward the Japanese during World War II.
Sykes' diary is presented here in its entirety, with abbreviations (alt =
altitude; barom = barometricreading; dist = distance) and spelling errors
intact, starting on the day the group departed from Tucson and ending
with their return. Notes in (parentheses) are Sykes' own. I have added a
few brief editorial notes to the text in [italics and squarebrackets].Come
along with Godfrey Sykes to the Pinacate.
(^)

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172 > Journal of the Southwest

Entriesfrom GodfreySykes}1907 bound diary. Godfrey'soriginal

Pinacate diary was kept in pencil in a leatherettememo book;he
made this identical ink copyafter the expedition. Courtesyofjocelyn
Cushman.

Sat. Nov.2, 1907

NB All odometerdistancesin actualreadings(to be corrected).
Fine but cooler.
Put in the morninggetting the boys moved down to the adobe.
The outfitcamealongabout 11. a.m. & we got awayaboutnoon.
Madeabout25 milesto [BernabeandJesus]Roble's[Robles*]
ranch,
getting thereabout 5.30.
Sun. Nov.3, 1907
Fine & warm.
Off at 8 a.m. fine grassy country all morning, & steadily up
hill. Reached the well just north of Coyote Mountain about

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Sykes'Pinacate Diary -fr 173

noon, alt about 2800, dist from camp (subject to correction)
13.6 miles.
Alt. abreastIndian [ TohonoO'odham]Village 3340, dist 17.3. Camp
at well at 3.15 P.M. dist 20.6, alt 3250. Walked out & climbed a
hill (granite) 114 miles south of camp, before evening. It was about
500 ft above plain. This camp is Hayes' Well.
Man. Nov. 49 1907
Fine & warm.
Away at 8, very fine road across the flat. Passed Wood's hill about
10.30. Dropped to about 3800 (?) in crossing the flat. Passeda well
in the pass but did not stop [ This is probablythe well that Hornaday noted contained the bloated carcassof a rattlesnake (Hornaday
1908:59-60). .], as we had already tapped a bisnaga [barrel cactus]
for a drink. Distance to well about 31.5. Reached a Papago [ Tohono
O'odham] Village about 11.30 alt 3200 dist 33.5. Nooned until
about 1. P.M. Through Pass at once & down hill for 2 miles, alt
at bottom about 2960.
At about 36 miles we were in a saguara[sic] & mesquite grove with
a number of very young "giants" & one fimbrated [fitnbriated,
now called crestate] one which I photographed. [ Unfortunately,
none of Sykes'Pinacate photographsturned out.] Alt 2850. Made a
good hike across the flat & camped at dam by Papago houses just
beyond N & S road from Quijotoa to Casa Grande dist 49.5 Alt
180. Camp at 4.45 P.M.
Tues. Nov. 5, 1907
Fine & warm.
Off at 8.15. barom down to 1900 reached well & village at about
10.20. dist 55.6 miles alt 2450. Then passedanother Indian [ Tohono
O'odham] Village & some scattered houses, & at 11 we reached
a well & corral with good water, dist 57.8. alt 2610. Poso Blanco
12.35. dist 62.6. alt 2410. left camp 2.30, with 25 galls water.
Camp at 4.30 out in flat, at 71 miles, alt 2040.

Wei. Nov. 6, 1907

Fine & warm, rather cloudy towards evening. Off at 7.35. Point
of East & West range 10.15, dist 71.5. Very soft & heavy going

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174 * Journal

of the Southwest

with lots of brush & mesquite. Stopped awhile about 11.30 at

dist 81.6, in fairly open country with small scattered mesquites,
alt 2250. Climbed on little hill as we got abreastof W end of small
range. Saw Burro Burro camp & back to Coyote Mountain. Alt at
this point 2400 ft. Pass averages about this height. Head of pass
at about 86.9. [According to Hornaday, this pass was betweenthe
Ajo and GunsightMountains (Hornaday 1908:73).] Made camp at
89.5 at Wall's Well & old pump station, just at north end of Ajo
Mountains, at 2.50 P.M. Alt 2080.
We lay over here for the rest of the day.
Thur. Nov. 7, 1907
Rather cloudy morning, cooler in day, & a suspicion of rain in
the evening.
Alt showing in morning 2310, MacD & I started out about 7.30,
& walked across by a trail to a small peak with a copper mine on
it [Copper Mountain], We made the distance as about 7 miles.
The wagon started at 8.30 & made this hill at about 11.45, dist
98.9 alt 2250. Nooned at a little grass at 100.5, alt 2100. Road
full of short little pitches. Time 12.30. Off again at 2.10. Camped
among some small hills at 3.45 in fairlygood grass, dist 107.1. Alt
evening 2010. Took a walk out to a volcanic ridge, to the west,
& took some bearings. A good deal of cloudiness passing over us
with lightning to east & south.
Fri. Nov. 8, 1907
Cloudy morning & a light shower, several showers during the
day.
We walked out ahead & the wagon started about 7.35. We passed
out of the little ridges at about 1 1 1 . 1 & met our Mexican [ Charlie
(or Charley,as Sykesspellsit) Foster] at about the same point. We
have now passed the watershed (about 2 miles back) & are going
down hill fast. Crossed line at 9.37 dist 115.8 alt 1680. Reached
Sonoyta at 10.10, dist 118.4, alt 1410. Spent several hours getting past Customs, & got everything cleared except the wagons.
[MacDougal, in preparing the customslists, had neglectedto include
theparty'stwo wagons.MacDougal,faced with a substantialproblem,
proposedthat theyuse one of their wagons and hire another locally,a

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Sykes*Pinacate Diary * 175

solution that the Mexican customsofficial accepted.]Took a walk in
the afternoon to a small hill to the E.S.E. & took some bearings,
also took a number of photos.
Sat. Nov. 9, 1907
Showery morning & a good deal of rain during the day. Took a
horse & startedabout 9 A.M. with Mexican Charley,Dr. Hornaday,
& Mr. Phillips, towards Cobabi [ Cababi or Cubabi]. They hunted
& Dr. Hornaday got a deer & I rode on & climbed the mountain.
Got in a good deal of rain & could see absolutely nothing either
climbing or while on top on account of mist.
Barom in Sonoyta start 28.9 return 28.8
& on Cobabi 25.7
Make alt 4325 ft.
Left horse at about 2300 ft on west slope of big basin on East side
of mountain at about 1 P.M., reached top at 3.15, down to horse
again at 4.30 & back to Sonoyta in the dark by about 7. P.M.
Sun. Nov. 10, 1907
A little rain in the early morning & a good deal about mid day.
Sonoyta river running big in the afternoon.
Spent all the forenoon getting ready to start. Took my wagon
[this may have been Sykes'Studebakerwagon] & a Mexican wagon
[rentedfrom a Mr. Escalante, who warned them it was inadequate
for thejourney (Hornaday 1908:94)] & I put odometer on mine.
Wagons pulled out at 12.20 & we followed on horseback at about
2. Camped at 4 PM about 2 miles beyond Santo Domingo [a
more-or-lessabandoned hacienda] & near to the river. Dist 126.8,
alt (28.98) 900 ft. (on leaving Sonoyta 28.82 = alt 1050)
Sent all the horses back to Santo Domingo to feed them hay. [Jeff]
Milton, [Rube] Daniels (a new man), & Charley (Mex) took them
back.
Mon. Nov. 11, 1907
Fine morning, fine & warm in day.
Left camp just ahead of the wagons (which left about 8). Reached

Quitovaquita[Quitobaquito,a springthat is nowpart of Organ

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176 * Journal

of the Southwest

PipeCactusNationalMonument]at 9 dist 130.7, alt 840. [Sykes*

barometric
readingsvariedas muchas200feetfor thesamelocation.
He mayhavebeenawareof this,giving him evenmoreofa reasonto
hisaneroidat sealevel.]Brokehindwagon [Mr.
wantto recalibrate
Escalante's]by boxingcomingout of wheel about 11 & took half
an hourto repair.ReachedAguaDulce ranchat about 1 P.M.,dist
136.9, alt 750 ft. MacDougal& I then took ourhorses& climbed
a littlevolcaniccone to the west of camp& I took a lot of bearings.
Hill was about400 ft high.
Tues.Nov. 12y1907 [Hornaday lists this day as November11
(Hornaday1908:135)]
Fine morning,fine & warmin day.
Got up at 3.45, saddled up & left camp on our horses about
5.50. Had some troublewith teamsbut soon got away.Left river
about 3-1/4 miles below, watered horses & then left wagons
whilewe all rode by anotherroute.Took severalsights& reached
the edge of a very fine cindercraterat about 10.15. This is out
to the centerof the plain & is known as "CerroColorado."We
stayedhere,principallyhunting[pronghorn]antelope,untilabout
1 P.M.,wateredhorsesat playaabout a mile fromhill, alt 370 ft.
Our coursewas then North for about 3-1/2 miles,to some small
volcanichills,wherewe expectedto find the wagonsbut did not
do so. Wemadea temporarycampwhileMilton& Danielswentto
huntthe wagons.Theycamebackabout7 P.M.& we allstartedN
by E at 7.10. Foundthe roadat about 7.55 & then struckWNW
for about2 hours,reachingwagonsat LasPlayasnearMonument
180 at about 10 P.M. Dist 160.4, alt 300 [680 feet accordingto
modernmaps].
Wed.Nov. 13, 1907
Fine morning,fine & warmday.
Left campat 7 A.M. Rode up with Dr. Hornadayto Monument
180 (alt 275 ft). [ On November25, Sykesliststhisas 540feet; modern mapsgive 707feet.] Could see Penacate[sic] top, & Cobabi
[sic]9also 2 monumentsto West,one at the south baseof a small
conicalhill, & the otherbeyond,at top of TuleMountains[Sierra
Tuseraq.9 AS AM, dist 164.2, 12.15 PM 167.4, 1.15 PM 169.5.
This is a creosoteflat. Campedjust at Eastend of Tule (?) range,

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Sykes' Pinacate Diary

177

GodfreySykesin the Pinacate with his horse.He seemsto be absorbedin his notebook,orperhapsone of his mechanicalinstruments. (Photocourtesyof Diane Boyer)

(HornadayMts), in good grass,just in a pass between this mountain

& a volcanic hill. Rode out & saw a splendid crater [MacDougal
Crater; Hornaday wrote that Sykesfirst saw this crater thefollowing
day (Hornaday 1908:165-68)] & then climbed a peak about 300 ft
high, & got a fine view across the Gulf. Dist of camp 172.1 miles,
alt 350. Time of camp about 3. P.M.
The boys [Foster,Miltonyand Daniels] took the remuda [all 17 of
the expedition'shorses]over to the tanks [probablyPapago Tanks]
for water & did not get back until about 9 P.M.

Thur.Nov. 14, 1907

Cool morning, fine & warm in day.
Climbed a volcanic hill to East of Pass, about 325 ft & had a good
view of the Gulf. Soon after starting, I rode over & photographed
& climbed down into the big crater seen last evening, dimensions

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178 * Journal of the Southwest

asfollows,altrimgoing down 350 ft, bottom 50, altrimcoming
up 400 ft, widthof floorof crater1100 paces.Angleof innerwall,
about 30, dist abreastof crater173.4 m. Left wagonsat 173.6,
about lAmile fromVolcano,& packedthe outfit over to Papago
Tanks[wherethe men wouldspendthe nextfour dayscamping].
Passeda good 4 partcrateron the way[MolinaCrater].Coles[sic]
& Jenkinswent backfor the restof the stuff & we cooked supper
& I had a swim.No game to day.Rube Danielsleft the outfit.
Fri. Nov. 15, 1907
Rathercloudy morning, & had a good deal of light rainin the
day.
Left campon horsebackwith Charley,Mr. Phillips& Milton, for
the deepcrater[SykesCrater,namedbyHornadayand MacDougal
overGodfrey's
protests].Wesawthisfromthe rim& climbeda high
another
crater[unnamed]in a hill-top.Visitedthis &
saw
butte,
Badilla Crater].Took lots
then anotherlargeflatcrater[probably
of sights. We then walkedaroundto the top of some high lava
hills [the high butte is likely the one theysoon named Phillips Butte]

to the south of the deep crater& Mr. Phillipsshot 2 mountain

sheep.We cleanedthem & I carriedthe carcassof one down the
mountainto the horses,whichCharleyhadgone & broughtround,
& I then packedit on my saddleto camp,walking& leadingthe
horse.Miltonwho hadleft us earlyin the day,alsogot two sheep.
Mr. Phillipsgave me one of the heads.
Sat. Nov. 16, 1907
Fine & warm.
Off on foot to deep crater[Sykes],& I spent the day there &
amongstthe hills.Countedover200 volcanicbuttesfromone hill
top. Found craterto be about 750 feet deep & lAmile [actually
0.6 miles]across,& 2-1/2 miles in circumferenceround lip of
rim. Got home about sundown.Mr. Phillips& Dr. MacDougal
went off together.Dr. Hornadayskinnedthe big buckwe killed
lastevening.Charley& Miltonwent to findroadto next camp&
Charleyreports2 othertanksdownthiswashat about1 & 2 miles.
Got a good viewof SantaCatarina(in peninsula)[SierraJuarezin
Baja California]about sundown.

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Sykes'Pinacate Diary 0179

Sun. Nov. 17, 1907
Fine but rather windy & cooler.
In camp until the middle of the afternoon working at map & notes.
I then took a walk to & into the "clover-leaf' crater [Molina Crater] & across to the big crater [MacDougal Crater] & then back
to camp, walking about 1 1 miles altogether.
Barometer is lower, & alt of this camp (Papago Tanks) shows as
600 ft. tonight.
Mon. Nov. 18, 1907
Fine & warm.
Left camp at 8.10 with the horses. I walked all day while the rest
rode. Milton killed 2 buck antelope [pronghorn]at about 10 miles
from camp.
We were in sight of the sea most of the day.We camped at the Tule
tank. Very good water & lots of it.
Our day's travel was nearly 18 miles.
Tues. Nov. 19, 1907
Fine & warm.
Stayed in camp for awhile in the morning, skinning my antelope
head. [Hornaday had selectedthe betterof the two headsof thepronghorn that Milton killed. Sykesaskedfor and wasgiven thesecondhead
(Hornaday 1908:235).] I then walked out on to a big lava butte
[now known as Chivos Butte] to the N.W. & took some sights.
From there I headed down straight for the Gulf, & reached the
mud & water about 7 P.M. I then struck back for camp, getting
in about 1 A.M.
Found a discrepancyof over half an inch in aneroid [equivalent to
about 500 feet of elevation]. Walked about 45 miles. [Sykesprobably
walked 35-40 miles, basedon modern map information.]
Wed.Nov. 20, 1907
Fine & warm.
We all left camp today. Messrs. Hornaday, Phillips, MacDougal,
Milton & I climbed Pinacate. MacDougal got a sheep & Coles got

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180 * Journal

of the Southwest

two, & Hornaday & Phillips, with Milton, stayed out to take care
of two that they got yesterday. I saw a band of 10 sheep & took
several snap-shots of them. Pinacate proves to be about 4060 feet
& is very easy to climb. [Sykesmakesno mention of standing on his
head on the summit of Pinacate, immortalized in a photographby
Phillips. And not everyoneagreed that Pinacate was an easyclimb;
accordingto Hornaday, Milton struggledwith the ascent (Hornaday
1908:265-68).]
Thur. Nov. 21, 1907
Fine & warm.
Rode over to Pinacate, climbed up, took height of second peak
[Carnegie Peak], located Cuervas Tanks & another big crater
[probablyElegante Crater]. Stalked a dead mountain-sheep & had
a lot of fun. [See Hornaday 1908:289-90, for moreon the dead sheet
hunt.] Messrs. Hornaday, Phillips & Milton came in with 3 sheep,
having killed another one this morning. [Milton, Phillips, and
Hornaday, sloweddown bytheir bountyof sheep,had not returned to
camp the previous night, bivouackingseveral miles awayfrom Tule
Tanks (Hornaday 1908:275-76).] I got back to camp after dark.
Found second peak [Carnegie] to be about 200 ft lower than the
main one.
Fri. Nov. 22, 1907
Fine, but cool N wind.
Left Tule Tanks at 8.45 & took western trail via "spiggle-top"
hills [Sierra Extrana]. Passed a very nice little tank near a small
white hill.
Reached Papago Tanks camp about half an hour before sundown.
Sat. Nov. 23, 1907
Fine but rather cold north wind.
In camp all day, washing, shaving, shoeing horses, making map
&c.
Messrs. Phillips & Cole went out hunting, saw lots of antelope but
got nothing. We sent severalpackloads of stuff over to the wagon
in readiness for the start tomorrow.

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William Hornaday, at left, and Jeff Milton pose with GodfreySykesin Pinacate
beetlepose. November20, 1907. (Photocourtesyof Diane Boyer)

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182 > Journal

of the Southwest

Sun. Nov. 24, 1907

Fine morning, fine but cooler.
Elevation of camp this morning showed at 525.
We left camp about 8 & got the wagons loaded by 10.15. Dist
173.6. 1 then rode over to rim of big crater [MacDougal Crater]
alt 650, bottom 200 & again later, 190 ft, alt of Pass camp going
back 600 feet. Caught up with the wagons a few miles farther on.
Climbed up the "sand-patch"hill, & we made camp about 1 hour
before sundown, at 182.7, alt 675 ft.
Man. Nov. 25, 1907
Fine but cool.
Got away at 7.50, after several of the horses had broken back over
the trail.
Reached monument 180 soon after 9, alt of Mon. 540 ft [Sykes
appears to be recheckinghis earlier barometerreadings in order to
correctdiscrepancies^
Watered my horse at the Represo (fortifications?) about 11.30,
after sundry delays. [ The real purposeof the rockalignments at the
"represo*hasyet to be explained.]
Then visited Mon 179 (770 ft), Mon 178 at 1.20 P.M.
Caught the rear wagon at about 2.30, & we made it to camp at
the [Agua] Salada, where the road leaves the Sonoyta river, soon
after sundown (5 P.M.), dist. 207.3, alt 850.
Saw that Milton, Phillips & Charley had already gone along.
Tues. Nov. 26, 1907
Fine & warm.
Left camp at 8.45, after mending reach of old wagon.
Reached Agua Duke ranch at 9.45, & found the hay & grain all
right. Dist 210.7. Camped for noon & a feed of hay at 11 a.m.,
dist 213.8, & got away again at 1.25. Quitovaquito at 2.30. Dist
216.8, alt 1175. River crossing at 3.20, dist 220.8, alt 1220.
Reached San Domingo at 3.45, dist 222, alt 1309, we managed
to buy some hay. I afterwardsclimbed a range of small hills to the
South (1500 feet).

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fykes'Pinacate Diary * 183

Wed.Nov. 27, 1907
Fine & warm.
Left camp at 8.45 (morning alt 1000 ft). Reached Sonoyta at
10.30, & made our camp on north side of the river, alt 1225, dist
(to camp), 229.4. (this would make Sonoyta 229.)
Rode over to town again with MacDougal, paying up accounts,
&c, & bought some pinoche [a traditional Mexican confection]
for the laddies [Glenton and Gilbert]. Took a walk in the afternoon
on to a range of hills to the north of Mon. 168. Alt 1855 ft. Took
a good bath in the Sonoyta river.
Thur. Nov. 28, 1907
Fine & warm.
Got away at 7.55, crossed the line at 9.30, dist 231.6, alt at Mon
167, 1220 ft (approx). Reached fork of road at 11.30 dist 238.9,
alt 1560.
Second fork of road (took left hand) at 1 P.M. Dist 243.4, crossed
main road from Wall'sWell to Growlerat 3.15, dist 251.7 alt 1360.
Camp at 3.40 (dist 252.7). 1 mile north of Growler road crossing,
in fairlyopen mesquite & creosote flat. Alt. 1370.
Fri. Nov. 29, 1907
Slight frost in the morning, fine & warm later.
We started walking at 8, wagon got off about 8.50, & caught us at
9.45, dist 257. Fork of main Growler road at 10.20, dist 259.5.
Ajo at 12.10, dist 265.8. Watered horses at windmill about 1 mile
north of store & drove on, reaching 10 mile well [later TomChilds
Ranch] at 3.30. Dist. 275.8.
Got letters from Bunnie [ Glenton'snickname] & Mrs. Livingston,
dated Nov 18. Alt of this camp, 1150 feet [modern reading is
1,342 feet].
Sat. Nov. 30, 1907
Cool morning. (30). Fine & warm in day.
We all started on foot & the wagon caught us at 9, having left
camp at 8.20.

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184 * Journal of the Southwest

Met a freightteamat 10.30, dist285.5. Passedthe pointof big lava
hills& met anotherfreightteam.MacDougal& I walkedahead&
hadto turnbackto meetthe outfit,whichcampedin opencreosote
countryat about 3.15 P.M.,dist 297.4.
Sun. Dec. i, 1907
Fine & warm.
Walkedpart of way & rode with Cole & MacDougalin buggy,
reaching Gila Bend at 10 a.m. Did variousbits of business &
wagon reachedtown at 12.20. Dist 309.5, alt by aneroid575,
true alt 735. Put in restof daypackingheads,horns, &c & had a
very fine supperto celebrateDr. Hornaday'sbirthday.Traindue
at 9.45 P.M., & on time.
Mon.Dec. 2, 1907
Cool morning& rathercool day.
Trainon time.
ReachedTucsonat 1.30 [a.m.] & walkedout to camp.Foundthe
laddieswell & happy& madedown a bed & sleptuntil morning.
Wasup at the laboratoryin the forenoon,at mail&c. At middayI
droveTrilby[oneof Sykes'drafthorses]to town, shopped,went to
bank,& to MacDougals(withmail).Thenwentto see MessrsHornaday& Phillipsat the SantaRita[Hotel]y& then home to supper
& to the laddies;who moved backto campto sleepto night.
A letterfrom Leila(besides2 more in accumulatedmail).Wrote
to Shorty[StanleySykes]& PostmasterFlagstaff.
G\9
Godfreywas relievedto discoverthat Glentonand Gilberthad successfullysurvivedtheirmonth-long"homealone"experience(indeedthey
had treasuredit), but Godfreywas determinedthat the opportunity
not be repeated.He had been correspondingfor monthswith Emmie's
youngersister,LeilaPeaceWalmisleyMurton,whosehusbandhaddied
soon afterEmmie.The Walmisleyfamilyagreedthat Leila,who hadno
childrenof herown, couldprovidethe boyswith the feminineinfluence
they lacked.Leilamade the long journeyfrom London to Tucson in
Marchof 1908, and she and Godfreymarriedin May.

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Clockwisefrom top: Glenton, Godfrey,Gilbert and Leila Sykesin England in

June, 1914. (Photographcourtesyof Diane Boyer)

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186 * Journal of the Southwest

Camp-Fires on Desert and Lava was released in October 1908.
Although he appeared to like the book, calling it "most charming"
(Godfrey Sykes 1944:272), Godfrey was probably mildly embarrassed
by Hornaday's effusive praise. Glenton noted that his father did not
talk about the trip very much. As Glenton surmised, Godfrey was busy
with additional travels (Broyles 1987: 171-72). He apparently never
returned to the difficult-to-access Pinacate. (Glenton would make many
trips by automobile after roads made for easier access.) Godfrey devoted
much of his life to a study of the Colorado River delta, and produced
an authoritative report, The Colorado Delta, in 1937. He established
and regularly read a series of rain gauges along the Camino del Diablo
in southern Arizona; visited Egypt, Libya, and the Sudan; and made
multiple trips to see family in England. In his 1944 autobiography, A
WesterlyTrend,Godfrey devoted only two pages to the Pinacate expedition (Sykes 1944:271-73). The Pinacateexpedition, while undoubtedly a
memorable and wonderful experience, was just one in a lifelong series of
adventures, most of them documented to some extent by notes, letters,
and photographs. So while it is not surprisingthat his Pinacate diarywas
"lost," it is also not surprisingthat Godfrey left us one to find. *

References

Boyer, Diane
2007 Godfrey Sykes and the Hilda. In Dry Borders:Great Natural
Reservesof the SonoranDesert, edited by RichardStephen Felger
and Bill Broyles, 117-27. Salt Lake City: University of Utah
Press.
Broyles, Bill
1987 Adventure in the Pinacate. Journal of Arizona History 28(2):
155-88.
Cattell, J. Mckeen, and Jaques Cattell, eds
1927 American Men of Science.4th ed. New York:Science Press.
Hornaday, William T.
1908 Camp-Fireson Desert and Lava. New York: Charles Scribner's
Sons.
MacDougal, Daniel T.
1908 Across Papagueria.Bulletin of theAmerican GeographicalSociety

40(12):705-25.

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Sykes'Pinacate Diary * 187

MacDougal, Daniel T.
Manuscript papers University of Arizona Library,Special Collections,
Tucson.
Sykes, Glenton
1977 "Scrapsfrom the Past," unpublished typescript in the collection
of the author.
Sykes, Godfrey
1937 The ColoradoDelta. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Institution.
. 1944. A WesterlyTrend:Being a VeraciousChronicleof MoreThan
Sixty Tearsof Joyous Wanderings,Mainly in Searchof Spaceand
Sunshine.Tucson: Arizona Pioneers Historical Society.

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