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130» MOUNTAINS AND MESAS. 
boundary line. These are generally called 
the Witchita mountains, but sometimes Tow- 
yash by hunters, perhaps from téyavist, the 
Comanche word for mountain. [ inquired 
once of a Comanche Indian how his nation 
designated this range of mountains, which 
was then in sight of us. He answered, “ T0- 
ist.” “ But this simply means a mountain,” 
replied. “ How do you distinguish this from 
any other mountain?” “There are no other 
mountains in the Comanche territory,” he re- 
joined—‘ none till we go east to your coun- 
try, or south to Texas, or west to the land of 
the Mexican.” 
With these exceptions, there are scarcely 
any elevations throughout these immense 
plains which should be dignified by the title 
of mountains. Those seen by the Texan 
Santa Fé Expedition about the sources of Red 
River, were without doubt the ceyas or brows 
of the elevated table plains with which the 
Prairies abound, and which, when viewed from 
the plain below, often assume the appearance 
of formidable mountains ; but once upon their 
summit, the spectator sees another vast plain 
before him. 
These table lands, or mesas, as the Mexicans 
term them, of which there are many thou- 
sands of square miles lying between the fron- 
tier of the United States and the Rocky 
Mountains, are level plains, elevated a consl- 
derable distance above the surrounding coun- 
uy and may be likened to the famous steppes 
Asia. They are cut up with numerous 
