THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 85 



6. Survey near the 32d parallel of latitude, eastern end, under Captain John 



Pope. 



Captain Pope, accompanied by Lieutenant Garrard, Captain Taflin, 

 and Dr. DifFenderfer, with an escort under the command of Lieuienant 

 Marshall, left El Paso on the 20th of February, for Preston, Texas, for 

 the purpose of completing the survey of the 32d parallel, prosecuted at 

 the western end by Lieutenant Parke. The line followed was nearly 

 straight except through the Guadalupe mountains. The Pecos was 

 passed near the mouth of Delaware creek, and the Llano Estacado tra- 

 versed for a distance of one hundred and twenty-five miles. From this 

 the party proceeded via head waters of Brazos and Colorado, arriving 

 in Preston about the middle of May. The natural history collections 

 made were very extensive and valuable, including, as they did, a por- 

 tion of those gathered by Dr. T. C. Henry, U. S. A., in New Mexico, 

 during a period of several years. Captain Pope has since returned to 

 the Llano Estacado, for the purpose of experimenting upon Artesian 

 borings in the desert. He is accompanied by Dr. G. G. Shumard, as 

 surgeon and geologist, well known in connexion with explorations by 

 Captain Marcy. 



Exploration of Colonel Fremont. 



In order to test the depth of winter snow along the central route 

 traversed by Captain Gunnison and Messrs. Beale and Heap, Colo- 

 nel Fremont started late in the season, and on the 25th of November 

 was still below the mouth of the Huerfano. Entering the mountain re- 

 gion on the Huerfano on the 3d of December, he emerged from it, and 

 reached the Little Salt settlement on the 9th ofFebruary, having found 

 but four inches of snow in the Coochetope Pass on the ]4th of Decem- 

 ber. From Parowan he proceeded to San Francisco, and has since then 

 been engaged in preparing a report on the results of his trip. 



Expedition of Messrs. Beale and Heap. 



Lieutenant E.F. Beale, superintendent-of Indian affairs in Cahfornia, 

 about to return to the scenes of his philanthropic labors among the In- 

 dians, in the vicinity of Tejon Pass, embraced the occasion to make the 

 journey over land by the central route. He was in company with Mr. 

 G. H. Heap. They left Westport, Missouri, on the 6th of May, and 

 proceeded to Fort Atkinson on the Arkansas, crossing the head waters 

 of the Osage and the Neosho. From this point they passed up the 

 Arkansas to the Huerfano, and proceeded to the Mormon settlements 

 near Little Salt lake and the vegas of Santa Clara, very nearly on the 

 route pursued by Captain Gunnison, excepting that they went up the 

 Huerfano instead of the Abispah. From the vegas they pursued the 

 old Spanish trail leading from Abiquiu across the desert of the Mohave, 

 and thence to Los Angeles, where they arrived on the 22d of August, 

 making a distance of 1,852 miles from Westport in 100 days. Some 

 of the party had travelled 715 miles more in going to Taos and back, 

 in consequence of the loss of stores. The party was at one time in 



