RIO COLORADO. 105 



of iron. During halts I have seen a dozen 

 wheels being repaired at the same time, oc- 

 casioning such a cUtter-clatter of hammers, 

 that one would almost fancy himself in a 

 ship-yard. 



Emerging from this region of asperities, we 

 soon passed the ' Point of Rocks,' as a dimi- 

 nutive 'spur' projecting from the north is 

 called, at the foot of which springs a charming 

 little fount of water. This is but thirty or 

 forty miles from the principal mountains, 

 along whose border, similai- detached ridges 

 and hills are frequently to be seen. The next 

 day, having descended from the table plain, 

 we reached tlie principal branch of the Ca- 

 nadian river, which is here but a rippling 

 brook, hardly a dozen paces in width, though 

 eighty miles from its source in the mountains 

 to the north. The bottom being of sohd rock, 

 this ford is appropriately called by the cibo- 

 leros, cl Vadu de Piedras. The banks are very 

 low and easy to ascend. The stream is called 

 Jiio Colorado by the Mexicans, and is known 

 among Americans by its hteral translation of 

 Red River. This circumstance perhaps gave 

 rise to the beUef that it was the head branch 

 of our main stream of this name :* but the 



• Previous to the year 1820, this ' Rio Colorado' seems ur^iversdly 

 to have been considered as the principal source of Red Ri ver ; but 

 in the expedition of :Mai. Long, during that year, he discovered this 

 to be the head branch of the Canadian. The discovery cost him 

 Bomewhat dearly too ; for striking a branch of the Colorado near 

 the Mountains, he foUowed down its course, believing it to be of 

 the main Red River. He was not fully undeceived till he arrived 

 at its junction with the Arkansas ; whereby he failed in a pnncipal 

 object of the expedition— the exploration of the true sources of Ked 

 River of Natchitoches.' 



