CHAPTER V. 



FROM MOUTH OF DEVIL'S RIVER TO EL PASO DEL NORTE 



PECOS SPRINGS. KISG'S SPEIXCS. rNDEPEXDENCE 



ElO BRAVO INACCESSIBLE. LIPANS. CANONS AND RAPIDS. 



OF THE 



PECOS. — devil's river. DIFFICTTLTY OF NAVIGATION. CANON OF BOFECILLOS. COMANCHE PASS. SAN CARLOS. MOUNT CAEMEL 



AND LOB CUISOS, 



N VINCENTE. PREfelDIO DEL NORTE. VADO DE PIEDRAS. — TOWNS NE.\R EL PASO. 



The description of the "boundary^ up the river, is continued "by the following reports of 



Lieutenant Michler and assistant Chandler : 



Washington City, D. C March 



Sir : The following is an extract of your orders to me, dated Washington City, D. C, April 

 4, 1853 : " You are charged with the responsible duty of completing the unfinished portion of 

 the survey of the Rio Grande, which forms the boundary between the United States and Mexico, 

 between Fort Vincente and the mouth of the Eio Pecos." 



Soon after their receipt the survey was commenced, and in the following August completed. 

 Since then the maps have been finished, and several views of the scenery in the 

 locality of the work engraved. 



immediat 



manner 



ducted, and a description of that portion of the river, and the country adjacent. 



which the survey was con- 



Having 



made all preparations at San Antonio, Texas, we proceeded 



mined 



on the road to El Paso, and followed it as far as the Pecos Springs. 

 to leave the road and strike for the Eio Grande, as directly as the nature of the country would 

 permit. Owing to its character, and the necessity of taking wagons along, our route, as shown 

 by the map, became somewhat circuitous. For the first fifty miles, from the Rio Pecos to King's 

 Springs, the course was nearly due west, enabling us to avoid the many impassable arroyos 



I in towards the former river. The road ran the greater part of this distance in small 



iwttiu 



heads 



from 



high ridges, by precipitous ascents and descents. These valleys are bounded by chains of hills, 



same 



zontal layers of cretaceous limestone ; the slopes are regular, well rounded, and steep. From 

 the ridges, or high plains, which are generally very narrow, valleys ramify in every possible 

 direction towards tlie Pecos. The grass is rich and luxuriant ; low, scrubby busheo are found, 



ter, except what collects in the gullies during heavy rains, 

 This is a large spring of water, deep and clear, with a fine 



by shelving rocks, but without bush or tree 



timber. No 



until you reach King's S 

 gravel-bottom, and well 



to mark \is. r>larA 



from 



Whilst the main party encamped there, a reconnoissance was made 



80 



thwesterly direction for nearly sixty miles 



im 



