I 



21 . ' ill 



"ijncler the mountains on the western side of the Canadian, on the 

 hanks of a small stream^ a tributary of the Canadian, The grass 

 was short, hut good; ^the waiter in small quantities, and in puddles. 

 Here we found a trap-dyke-7-course north 83 west — which shows 

 itself also on the Canadian, about four miles distant in the same 

 course. . _ 



At the distance of six miles from last night's camp, the road 

 forks — one fork running near the mountains to the west, but nearly 

 parallel to the old road, and never distant more than four miles, 

 and almost all the time in sight of it. The army was divided — 



-the artillery, infantry, and wagon train ordered to take the lower, 

 and the Missouri volunteers and first dragoons the ^upper ^road. 

 The valley here opens out into, an extensive plain, slightly rolling, 

 flanked on each side by ranges of perpendicular hills covered with 

 stunted cedar and the pifion. In this extensive valley or plain 

 may be traced by the eye, from any of the neighboring heights,* 

 the valleys of the Canadian and its tributaries, the Vermejo, the 

 Poni, the Little Cimarron, the Rayada, and the Ocate. We saw 

 troops of antelopes, horses, deer, &c,; also cacti in great abund- 

 ance, and in every variety; also a plant which Dr. De Camp 

 pointed out as being highly balsamic; and having collected quan- 

 tities of it during his campaign to the Rocky mountains, and tested 

 its efficacy as a substitute for balsam^ cop. 



To-night we observed a great number of insects, the first remarked 

 since leaving the Arkansas.^ Birds were equally rare, with the 

 exception of the cow-bunting, which has been seen in great num- 

 bers on the whole route, and in a state so tame as to often alight 

 on our horses/ The horned frog (agaraa corntita) also abounds 

 here- as well as on the route westward from Chouteau'S island. 



August 10. — Colonel Kearny was dissatisfied with the upper road, 

 and determined^lo strike for the old road. We did so after reach- 

 ing the Vermejo, 9^ miles in a .diagonal line, and rejoined it at the 

 crossing of the Little Cimarron, where we found the infantry en- 

 camped — total distance 20^ miles. The grass good, and w^ater 

 plenty, though not flowing. Another trap-dyke, parallel nearly 

 to the last, and three mile distant, presented its wall-like front. 

 It was strewed with fragments of fernigenous sand-stone and crys- 

 talized carbonate of lime. 



A Mexican came into camp from Bent's Fort, and reported Lieu- 

 t-enant Abert much better- Colonel Kearny allowed him to pass 

 to Taos, which place (60 miles distant by a bridle path) he ex- 

 pected to reach to-night. The colonel sent by him copies of his 

 proclamation. 



Five Mexicans were captured by Bent's spy company; they were 

 sent out to reconnoitre our forces, with orders to detain all per- 

 sons passing out of New Mexico. They were mounted on diminu- 

 tive asses, and presented a ludicrous contrast by side of .the big 

 men and horses, of the first dragoons. Fitzpatrick, our guide, who 

 seldom laughs, became almost convulsed whenever he turned his 

 well practised eye in their direction. 



Mr. Towle, an American citizen, came to head-quarters at the Ter- 



