1 36 
for ‘the first time the Rio del Norte; they consist of black amygdaloidai 
basalt. 
“July 2b. ar - noon in Joya, (five miles,)‘another small town, 
near the river. In the afternoon we had to cross a steep hill. On such 
occasions the teams ne to be doubled, and one wagon after the other to be 
pulled up, causing a delay of many hours. In the afternoon we went 
about three miles, and camped again on the river. 
~~ July 26.—Passed in the morning through the town Sabine, and camped 
eo it on the river, (10 miles.) Our night camp was five miles further, 
The vegetable creation in the wanet of the Rio del Norte, 
shale ae ‘principally by a great many sand -plants, exhibits since a 
bs ens of days two specimens of shrub, which for their extension oe a 
greatest part of Mexico, and their r daily ap pearance hence, 
hey notice. The one is the-so-called meng 7a ebrEb, belo sis to 
family of the mimmosew, and a species of } 
earance our locust tree; is very thorny; bears Talow aitiee and long 
ds, with a pleasant sour, taste. The wood is compact and heavy, and 
be ee they grow but as oe abr ih only for fuel. "The mezquite 
hich I knew only by deat pect. ‘ soon go ot tired of it, “when n daily and 
hourly I ‘saw it ‘around me, and the more particularly when passing after- 
‘Chihuahua to Monterey and Mata ag through endless chap- 
beets a ekg? it forms the constant compan It grows here seldom 
an from five to ten feet, but in the Uruihers parts I have seen 
mas. am trees, from 40 to 50 feet in height. 
"The other mee! Se ama to which I a oa is the yucca, resemblin 
in appearance the palm tree, and therefore commonly called. atiniller 
There are many species of this family, bat they all have very fibrous, 
Straight, pointed leaves , forming a a crown on the top, and leaving the stem 
bare, and a cluster of white, bell-shaped, numerous flowers, hanging down 
enerally , from their weight, in a bunch of from one to two feet in length. 
eae species of this plant, from two to three feet high, 
(yucca prushvates.)t seen on the Arkansas and near Santa Fe;" but 
here a much larger bias begins, which becomes every day now more cotn- 
n and taller. We see it here already at a height of from six to eight 
feet, while south ites Chihuahua, especially between Partas and Saltillo, a 
‘still ail lange er § s found, growing as trees, of several feet diameter and 
ae 
to. Feet ae ation. ‘Phe root of the palmilla is in this country 
“ohn ied for washing instead of soap, and called amole; it is a fibrous, 
sy mass, containing mucilaginous, and probably even alkaline parts. 
‘wood of the palmilla is too porous and spongy to ne very useful; 
less. Ly a south the poorer classes build their huts entirely of 
avin ‘made but two miles in the morning, we met with 
the river and halted, as our animals had fared very badly 
he afternoon w e had to ascend a steep, sandy hill; some 
Bete! and ‘alter feo) Bes we cone again near the 
3 { Pt 6 oak: 
+ Se “ ates ee, bs a 
