15 [26 J 
good; grass tolerable. In the ainnegn we marched to fide Notes’ creek, 
12 miles,) but found not a drop of water in it. 
une 18.—At our noon halt to-day we ite with water agin on Cotton- 
wood branch, (12 miles.) Here, as well as on McNees’ cyeek, a yellow 
- sandstone prevails. The road is approaching nearer and neajrer to ’ the moun- 
tains. In the afternoon we passed to the rightof the rabbit-eagt mounds, whose 
resemblance to rabbit-ears, with some stretch of imagination, one may dis- | 
cover very easily, and arrived on Rabbit ear creek, (12 ufiles,) a pamep wita 
d grass and water, and cotton-trees and willows along. the cree n the 
right bank of the creek rise’ steep bluffs, formed by that, porous, b 
ing basaltic rock, known as amygdaloidal basalt, and so common 
out the whole of Mexico. This is the first place where Ihave s 
It forms perpendicular eee, and is found strewed over th 
ank. Below is a compact quartzose sandstone, as if co 
had been fn we by volcanic action. ‘The basalt, as iui as ‘the # nds 
lay horiz 
une 19. jai or want of water we ‘marched 20 miles without rest, to Fis 
creek. About eight miles from Rabbit ear creek a mountain rises in the 
prairie, nearly one mile south of the road—the so-called Round mound. Las- 
cended it, and by barometrical measurement found the difference between 
the foot and the top of the mountain to be 610 feet, or its absolute elevation 
above the sea 6,655 feet. So rapid has been our ascent since we left the 
Cimarron. On the top of the mountain grow cedars. e rocks com- 
posing it appear to be basaltic, in a state of decomposition; ther look brown, 
and are Baie 35 very compact—sometimes more granular and friable. 
The view from th e Round mound over the sarong. country is Seid 
ul. 
fi The Taos mountains,in the west, are quite conspicuous; a 
eels the northwest I discovered high mountains —somect them with ae 
summits—probably the Spanish peaks. creek I saw the amyg- 
daloidal basalt again 4 situ, with its unsee FIDE > omaaiute, 
the morning we miles, to Whetstone See 
ae hhalted » with good grass and w The: sandstone here con 
approcched the ro ing to our ni we passed extensive 
strata of yellow quartzose ieisiewsis, lee. seul. paards the northeast. 
Point of Rocks itself is a mass of large blocks of sienite, towering to the 
met of several eee feet. A clear mountain spring comes out of the 
Her 
se 21 Stravelicls in the a ae eight miles over excellent road, and 
halted at noon in a ravine » or canon, 6,486 feet above the sea. During the 
Eee ee | & 
wnoieda iful view of nd us, 
~~ 
good a cedars aie on the neighboring a — further down on the 
* creek. | A settlement would s succeed very well here. 
be £5 x + a. 
ae SR Pe ae 4 ve i ; ie 4 : bg: RT Ae i re a 
