36 LLANO ESTACADO.—ROCKY DELL CREEK. 
x 
and shade upon the distant peaks. Ascending about two hundred and fifty feet, in about a mile 
from camp we reached the top of the Llano. Here, for the first time, we saw what one might 
call an ocean prairie; so smooth, level, and boundless does it appear. It is covered with a car- 
pet of closely cropped buffalo-grass, and no other green thing is to be seen. Mr. Marcou thinks 
that here, as upon the prairies crossed since leaving the Canadian, artesian wells might easily 
be made to afford plenty of water. Indeed, the numerous springs issuing from the sides of its 
bluff edges seem to prove the fact. Having travelled eight and a half miles, we arrived at a 
deep gorge with limestone cliffs, and a valley of grass and trees. In the rocky bed of the 
cañon were pools of water; and we stopped to breakfast. This is Agua Piedra of the Mexi- 
cans, and Simpson’s Encampment creek. Los Alamitos, the spring where the Pueblo Indians 
proposed to encamp last night, we have not seen. Itis probably at some distance to the right 
of the road. Having crossed the cañon of Agua Piedra, which might be headed by a detour 
south, we again rolled over the hard smooth surface of the Llano. The soil seems to be good, 
and, if it were possible to irrigate it, might be cultivated. It now furnishes excellent pasture 
for antelope and deer. At sunset we reached the edge of the Llano, where the road descended 
to Rocky Dell creek. Here we encamped, having accomplished nearly twenty-eight miles of 
survey. The wind has been increasing since noon, and this evening it blows almost a gale, 
seriously impeding our astronomical observations. 
