Ex. Doc. No. 41. 



57 



H. 



Far off to the south, between the peaks of two high mountains, 

 stretched the table land contiguous to the valley of the Del Norte. 

 For the first time since lea,ving the xVrkansas the mirage was seen, 



opening the appearance of a sheet of \Yater 



and gave the wide 



this 



my 



mul 



e came to a 



halt 



at* the edge 



disturbed by the wind. Two distant peaks looming up looked, for 

 all the world, like a fore and-aft-schooner. As I was observing 



of a steep precipice. 

 Below^ were green trees and luxuriant foliage, the sure indication 

 of water. The stream w^as clear, limpid, and cool, the first, but 

 one, I had seen since- crossing the Alleghanies, where water could 

 be drunk without imbibing a due proportion of mud S^nd sand. Its 

 name, Faloma, (Pigeon creek.) . * ^ 



In the valley growls cotton Avood, a new variety of evergreen oak, 

 with leaves like the holly, a new variety of ash, and a new kind of 

 black walnut, with fruit about half the size of ours. The oak was 

 covered with round red balls, the size and color of apricots — the ef- 

 fects of disease or the stiH:; of an insect. 



Four miles further brought us to another creek of clear water, 

 running sluggishly, and like the last the size of a man's waist. In 

 its valley were many large trees, uprooted, presenting the appear- 

 ance of new ground- 



On the plains and iji the dry valleys were many rare specimens 

 of cLalcedony. The only living thing seen was a small rattle- 

 snake, the first since we left Vegas, of the size and mark of the 



small prairie snake, but of reddish hue, Ijke that of the sround it 

 mhabited. * ' 



Observed to-night for latitude and longitude; our height w^as (ap- 

 proximately) 4,810 feet above the sea. 



October 16. — We commenced the approach to the Mimbres 

 mountains over a beautiful rolling country, traversed by small 

 streams of pure water, fringed with a stunted growth of walnut, live 

 oak and ash. The soil in the valleys and to the hill tops of the best 

 quality, covered with a luxuriant growth of grama, a species of en- 

 triana differing from the large grama. Nothing but rain is required 

 to make this part of the country inhabitable. There were several 

 new and beautiful varieties of cactus and the entamario (tessaica 

 Dorealis) diotis lanata in great luxuriance; one a miniature tree, 

 "u^ith the stalk six inches in diameter, a new species of dieteria like 

 ^n aster, w^ilh fine purple flowers; aster hebecladus and three leaved 

 barberry (berberis trifoliolata.) 



This must one day become a great grazing country, particularly 

 for sheep. The pure dry air is eminently adapted to them, and they 

 are said to be in all New Mexico very prolific, an ew^e seldom fail- ' 

 ing to drop two lambs. 



O^oher 11. — We ascended from the stream, on which we were 

 encamped, by a narrow valley for 2-^ hours before reaching the sura- 

 niit between it and the Mimbres, which was so indistinct that I 

 passed it several miles before discovering it. We descended in an 

 arroyo towards the Rio Mimbres, very narrow, and full of shattered 

 pitch stone; the sides and bank covered with a thick growth of 

 stunted live oak. In full view, nearly the whole time of our de- 



