Journey 
along the 
Sweet 
Wind 
ver 
Mountains 
Waters— 
The 
— 78 — 
from head to tail is covered with horny spines. Down 
the middle of the back runs a horny white comb. On 
the back of the head are six great spines arranged 
in semi-circle. This thorny armor makes the little 
beast resemble an alligator in miniature. It runs very 
swiftly; is found only on sandy soil, and appears to 
live on insects. Another smaller kind of lizard, 
slenderer and exceedingly swift, erroneously called 
here chameleon, usually occurs in the neighborhood 
of the horned frog. Near the Sweet Waters the 
country again becomes more level. Some weather- 
worn bare rocks alone arise in the midst of the prai- 
rie. ‘The ground is covered with decomposed salt 
tasting of alkali, and with some salt lakes. The 
buffalo seem specially fond of this region. We drove 
many herds before us. On the evening of June 
25th, we reached the Sweet Waters, a little stream 
that forms the northern source of the North Platte, 
and which has probably received its name in con- 
trast to the salty waters round about. We pitched 
our camp hard by an isolated rock, perhaps one 
thousand feet long, one hundred feet broad and fifty 
to sixty feet high, consisting of intermingled granite. 
It is known by the name of Rock Independence, and 
is said to have been so christened by a party of 
Americans who celebrated the Fourth of July here. 
It is regarded as a Rocky Mountain album, as it 
were. Many travelers write or cut their names 
