EVR ae. WEE aoe ee eS S Fs Re te tee eR CS SE, | ne ee ees ‘ Sn ae le be Be ie 
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21 | [7] 
under the mountains on the western side of the Canadian, on the 
banks of a small stream, a tributary of the Canadian. The grass 
was veut but good; the water in small quantities, and in puddles. 
re e found a trap-dyke—course north 83 west—which shows 
itself “e 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 Ocaté. We saw 
troops of ecu ged horses, deer, &c.; also cacti in great abund- 
nce, and in every variety; also a plant which Dr. De Camp 
pointed out as Aicine highly” balsamic; and haying collected quan- 
tities of. it during his campaign to the Rocky mountains, and tested 
its efficacy as a substitute for balsam co 
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 (agama ee also abounds 
here, as well as on the route westward from Choute au’s island. | 
August 10.—Colonel Kearny was dissatisfied with the upper r ad, 
and determined to strike for the old road: We did sO after reach- 
Pe. 
. ing the Vermejo, 9} miles ina diagonal line, and rejoined it at the 
crossing of the Lit ttle Cimarron, where we found the infantry en- 
camped—total distance 20} miles. The grass good, and water 
. plenty, though not flowing: Another ap 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- 
tenant 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. 
ive 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 sr eae whenever he turned his _ 
well practised eye in their directio 
Mr. 
Towle, an American citizen, came to head-quarters at the a | 
tal 
