SKETCH OF TERRITORY ACQUIRED BY TREATY. 97 



NOTES TO ACCOMPANY SKETCHES, (viEWS ALONG THE BOUNDARY LINE ON PARALLEL 31° 4V AND 31° 20' 

 NORTH latitude); BY JOHN E. WEYSS, FROM STARTING POINT ON THE RIO BRAVO TO IUtH MERIDIAN 

 OF LONGITUDE. ' 



Sketch No. 1 presents a view of tlie initial point on tlie Rio Grande, the observer looking west 

 along tlie line, parallel 31° 47' N. The flag iadicates the point where the line crosses the 

 mountain known as the "-'^Muleras/' Directly west of this mountain, thelinecrossesa very sandy 

 valley, supposed to be a former bed of the Rio Grande, and strikes the table land (some 200 feet 

 above the river) about three miles from the initial point. Here sketches Nos. 2 and 3 were 

 taken, looking respectively east and west. 



Sketch No. 2 is a back view, looking towards the initial point, again showing where the line 

 crosses the Muleras mountain^ and also, in the back-ground, the mountains near Franklin, east 

 of the river. 



Sketch No. 3 is a view taken at the same point as No. 2 ; that is, where the line first strikes 

 the table-land, but in the direction of the line westward. The line here leads over an apparently 

 endless level table-land, which is very sandy and generally without grass, but thickly covered 

 with clumps of bushes and small sand-hills four or five feet high. On the horizon, exactly in the 

 line, is visible the top of an isolated mountain, serving beautifully as a natural monument. The 

 mountains seen on the ri^ht hand are the ^'Sierra del Potrillo/' 



No 



sketch No. 3. By this view, the observer looks east along the line towards the initial point. The 

 volcanic mountain range on the left of the flag is called ^^ Sierra Seca.*' The two mountains 

 behind this Sierra are the topmost peaks of the Sierra del Potrillo, represented in sketch No. 3. 

 The Sierra, quite on the back-ground, shows the mountains near Franklin, and those on the 

 right of the flag are the mountains near El Paso. 



Sketch No. 5 is a near view of the Monument mountain before mentioned, on which is shown, 

 by the flag, the exact point struck by the boundary line. This view was taken from a point west 

 of this mountain, and about a mile from it. 



Sketch No. 6 is a view also taken near, and from the west side of Monument mountain, but 

 lookino" westward along the line. At this mountain the table-land ceases, and the line passes 

 over a series of hills for about 2.5 miles, the highest of which is not more than 300 feet, with 

 60 gentle an ascent as to be easily crossed with loaded wagons. Passing these hills^ the line leads 

 into a broad valley, bounded on the west by the Sierra del Carrizalillo. About a mile from the 

 foot of these hills the sand begins to disappear, and fertile soil takes its place. The pasturage of 

 this valley was everywhere luxuriant ; and in its lowest part, nearly midway between Monument 

 mountain and the Sierra del Carrizalillo, about one mile south of the boundary line, are the ^^ ojos 

 adjuntos," the first permanent water near the line west of the Kio Grande, and about sixty-four 

 miles from the initial point. The *' ojos adjuntos " are a series of lagoons formed by many springs, 

 of which fifteen were counted, all aifording clear water. They are connected, and all together 

 present a sheet of water from one and a half to two miles long, by from one-third to one-half 

 mile broad, and four to five feet deep ; their direction is north and south. The most northern 

 springs, as also the lagoons which they form, are some four or five feet higher than the surrounding 

 prairie. It is possible that these springs are but the re-appearance of the Kio Mimbres. Fine 

 grama grass surround these lagoons and springs, but no bushes. From the '^ ojos adjuntos " to 



Vol. I 13 



