23 



War Department, Office Explorations and Surveys, 



Washington, D. C, July 10, 1858. 



Sir : Your report of the 4th of June has been received and submit- 

 ted to the Secretary of War, who approves your suggestion that the 

 work upon the well near the Pecos be discontinued about the end of 

 September, if it should not be completed in the manner required by 

 your instructions at that time. In the event of its abandonment be- 

 fore such completion, your operations must be considered as estab 

 lishing the impracticability of sinking artesian wells upon the Llano 

 Estacado and other plains in that region of similar formation and 

 position. 



On the 14th of April last you were directed to omit the work upon 

 the well west of the Rio Grande, and upon the completion of the 

 well near the Pecos, to continue the experiment on the plains or 

 basins east of the Rio Grande, as indicated in the 5th paragraph of 

 your instructions of the 5th of May, 1857. 



Your suggestion that the next experiment after leaving the Pecos 

 be made upon or near the route between Anton Chico and Albuquerque 

 ia also approved, and you will begin the operations for boring as 

 soon as you have found what appears in your judgment a suitable 

 point for obtaining water, and where supplies of it are needed on or 

 near that route. 



Your letter of the 4th of June states that the distance over which 

 water is not to be had between Anton Chico and Albuquerque is 

 about 80 miles. Lieutenant Whipple, in his report on the route for 

 a Pacific railroad near the 35th parallel, represents the route from 

 Anton Chico to Albuquerque to be well supplied with water except 

 for two months in the year, during which time there is no water on a 

 portion of the route though that portion is much less than that men- 

 tioned by you. 



Having ascertained a suitable point for boring a well on this route, 

 and commenced operations, you will report to this office the exact 

 distance at which permanent supplies of water already exist, and 

 also the practicability of supplying the intervening spaces with 

 water by means of tanks, ponds or dams, in the event of the boring 

 proving unsuccessful. 



Yery respectfully, your obedient servant, 



A. A. HUMPHREYS, 

 Captain Topographical Engineers, in charge. 



Captain John Pope, 



Topographical Engineers, Fort Davis, Texas, via San Antonio. 



Camp on the Pecos River, 



June 30, 1858. 



Sir : I have the honor to report for the information of the War 

 Department, that the boring operations at this place have not been 

 carried to any greater depth than was attained at the date of my 

 last report. 



