Ex. Doc. No. 41. 391 



) 



picketed 



our animals than those birds installed them on their backs. 



The elder (sambucus pubescens) was still in bloom, and the 



' orange asclepias still displaying its gaudy flowers, much to the 



delight of the brilliant butterflies that sported around it, and are 



so constantly found near it, that it is often called the^butterfly 



plant. 



Our camp is on a hiorh point which separates the branches of a 



little stream; the grass around is good, and our situation high, and 



must bid defiance to the mosquitoes. Along the margin of the 



creek I found a beautiful lily, (lilium tigrinum,) of a bright orange 



color, and beautifully dotted. 



On July 1 we arose early and made our way back to the trail 

 had left. After a march of three miles we reached the route 

 sought for; we then rose to the top of the " divide," which unites 

 ■with the Wakaroosa valley by a series of slopes that resemble the 

 exterior slopes of parapets, their crests changing direction sid- 

 denly, so as to form sharp angles like those of a bastion; w^e 

 ascended 15 feet, and on taking a bearing back, found that the 



Wakar 



^we 



east. 



» 



After travelling three mileS further, we reached the hroad trail 

 -of the traders from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe. 



As our horses moved through the grass, the horse-flics seemed to 

 "be shaken from the spikelets, "as the farina from the stamens of 

 corn, when shaken by the wind; then rising up, they covered tfce 

 heads and necks of the poor animals, making them frantic with 

 pain; they would rub against each other, and stamp their hoofs; 

 and some would place their heads so as to get the benefit of the 

 switchings of another's tail; and even the riders were annoyed by 

 their desperate efforts to get rid of these persecutors. 



Before we had proceeded far, we met a man driving an ox team; 

 he had accompanied some of the volunteer companies to carry 

 provisons; and, having emptied his wagon, he was now on his 

 return. He told us that it was twCnty miles from the next pool to 

 water, so we determined to camp soon; ancl, having made a march 

 of eleven miles, we pitched our tents on the very same spot oa 

 which we had encamped one year previous. Here we collected 

 some beautiful flowers, amongst which were the rudbeckia hirta, 

 and tlie delicate bed straw, (galium tinctorum.) ye 



The stream upon which we were was then merely a line of 

 unconnected pools. The only trees to be seen were some tall 

 elms, (ulmus Amer.,) in whose ' tops several turkey vultures 

 <cathartes aura) were preparing to go to roost, while ^^elow, 

 amongst the willow brush that bordered the stream, some cat birds 



i(orpheus carol.) 



as they plunged into 



the inmost recesses of the undergrowth. ' i ♦ j 



Julit 9 Ae wo Via J flif. twpntv mile stretch to make to-day 



Juhj 2. — As we had the twenty mile 



vithout water, we arose early. The dew last night had been very 

 heavy, and we found little pools of water standing on the tops or 

 our mosquito bars, for we had been obliged to desert the tent 

 where our bars could not be fixed conveniently. 



/ 



