266 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



From John H. Clark to Spencer F. Baird. 



FRONTERA, July 4, 1851. 

 DEAR PROFESSOR: 



I am at a Rancho, hired by the Commissioner, 8 miles above 

 El Paso. This Rancho is on the Rio Grande and used as an observa- 

 tory and storehouse. Col. Graham will remain here until the Com- 

 mission is reorganized which will be done as soon as a conference can 

 be had with the Commissioner and Mr. Whipple who are near the 

 Gila at a place called the Copper Mines about 200 miles from El 

 Paso. The initial point has been fixed and the line run as far as the 

 Copper Mines, but the Col. says this point has not been established 

 according to the treaty and must be erased. 



I had no chance to write you from San Antonio but put up all 

 the specimens I had collected, which the Col. directed and which 

 I hope have reached you before this. We reached El Paso on the 

 25th June, having made the trip in 45 days; of all the barren water- 

 less regions on the face of the earth I want to see no worse than I 

 experienced on this route. There are stretches of from 50 to 100 

 miles without living water, without grass, and without wood enough 

 to boil a pot of coffee. 



There is nothing in abundance save the lizards which make up 

 in number and variety for the scarcity of everything else in objects 

 of Natural History. I flatter myself that I have made a good col- 

 lection as far as the lizards are concerned. Excepting the rattle- 

 snake, there are very few snakes in the mountains and on the ele- 

 vated plains over which we passed. There is nothing remarkable 

 in it, however, when we come to consider the barrenness of the 

 country. 



I haven't been able to procure a single wolf's skull. I saw but 

 two on the whole route and they were at a great distance and ran 

 out of sight as soon as they saw us. I have got, however, the skull 

 of a peccary which was shot by some soldiers in advance of the train. 

 Antelopes were frequently seen after crossing the Pecos but not a 

 single one was killed; I saw a black tail deer eight days from White's 

 Ranch near El Paso. We crossed the Rio Mimbres above Cooke's 

 route; this river at that time and place was nothing but a succession 

 of water holes some of which were literally filled with two kinds of 

 fish, a black sucker and trout. All the patience and art I could bring 



