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HEAD OF THE BRAZOS. 157 
country we had just left, with the fire from our lately burnt 
camp smoking in the distance, a fork of the Brazos, winding 
its tortuous and uninviting course at our feet, an extensive 
mesquite plain, with the bluffs which bounded the opposite 
shores of the Main Brazos, in the far back ground, whilst to 
our right could be seen the two conical peaks, which marked 
the source of the Brazos, towering towards heaven, and look- 
ing like two dim clouds in the distant horizon. 
The view was truly attractive, but our sufferings for water 
overpowered all other feelings, and descending we pushed 
rapidly on, crossed the fork of the Brazos at our feet, and 
entered upon a plain covered with a singular growth of dwarf 
oaks bearing quite a large acorn, the oak a perfect tree in 
itself, but the highest not more than two feet high. 
The soil now was gravelly, giving us hopes of soon finding 
water, but after a very long ride and much distress, we found 
nothing but a stagnant pool filled with vegetable matter and 
sickening to the taste. By boiling it in our camp-kettles and 
skimming off the green slimy scum, we managed to make 
coffee, and one of the Indians having shot a deer, we passed 
a comparatively comfortable night upon the open prairie. 
We were surprised to find quantities of fish in this stagnant 
pool. Specimens of copper were also found, and fossil shells. 
We killed two rattlesnakes in our bivouac, and after filling 
our water-sacks with the boiled water, retired to our blankets, 
having in spite of our privations passed a very interesting 
