? * 
New Mexico and California. 381 
Council Grove forms, as it were, a doiding point in the ch; 
the country east and west of it. The country east of it 
covered those plains, and partly moulded their present form. Of those 
slight undulations, the barometrical_ measurements will give evident 
proof. Big Blue Camp is elevate eet above the sea; Coun- 
cil Grove is 1,190; and the highest Sneiihe point is 1,420 feet, on 
the divide between the waters of the Osage and the Neosho or G 
river. This eastern portion is well watered, ol along the water-c 
prese Gmnbsbed to sustain settlements. The soil is generally very 
fert to judge from the higher elevation, more exempt fro 
plague of the bottom-land.. Letus tak prospective view 
w of the country west of Council Grove. A short distance gee e 
country rises suddenly to the elevation of 1,500 feet, and ascends grad- 
ually towards the Arkansas to 2,000 and more feet above the sea. 
The intermediate mi exhibits sometimes the short, — mi 
of the eastern portion, but hoeins it already“resembles the 
or high plains between the Arkansas and Cimarron, those » amadia tete 
of the calm immense high seas, whaeg the horizon extends farther, the 
soil becomes dryer a more sandy, the vegetation — a and 
water more rare. untry between Council Grove and the Arkan- 
sas forms the ecieciiined to os he sandy plains on the other my of the Ar- 
kansas; the soil is genera rally less fertile than in the eastern portion, but 
all along its water-courses (as Cottonwood a Little Arkansas, Wal- 
nut creek, Ash creek, Pawnee fork, an e:: Arka ansas) s éctilenie ots 
might succeed, though they would have | c 5 net more upon stock- 
raising than agriculture.—p. 7 
New Mexico is a very mountainous country, with a large valley in 
the middle, running from north to south, and formed by the Rio det 
Norte. The valley i is generally about twenty miles wide, and border- 
ed on the east and west by mountain chains, continuations of the Rocky 
mountains, which have Sara i here different namés, as Sierra blanta, 
de los Organos, oscura, on the eastern side, and Sierra de los Grullas, 
de Acha, de los iithred! np hi the west. The height of these 
poontalog south of Santa Fe be, upon an average, between six 
the higher tenn excellent pine timber rows 5 0 the noeatie. ce- 
ee ee 
