— oo rs ee ee ae 
~ ~ * % rr. s : 
* ; 5d, ’ % [7] | 
next at Fra Cristobal mountain, and the last at a point farther west, | 
yetito be determined. The ravines between are broad, and show 
the-beds of dry streams, which would probably be found watered 
when near their sources. A butt S seen in the distance, close 
to the river, and surrounded by trees, which was at first taken for 
an adobe house, but the near approach showed it a conglomerate - 
cemented by lime, which had been left standing when the surround- 
ing earths were washed away. At its base I found some rare spe- 
cimens of olivine set in lava. The road was unbroken, obstructed 
by ‘bushes, and so bad that the wagons made Only 114 miles, and 
the teams came into camp “ blown” and staggering after their day’s 
work. Expecting nothing better ahead, it was determined to leave ~ 
the wagons and send back for pack-saddles. My"own pack-saddles 
having been brought along, I had+time to observe the rates of my 
chronometers and make other preparations necessary for so impor- 
tant a change in our mode of proceeding. 
October 10th} 11th, and@2th were passed in camp waiting for the © 
pack-saddles. : 
We are now 203 miles from Santa Fé, measured along the river; 
16 circum-meridian altitudes of beta aquarii, and 17 altitudes of 
polaris give me for the latitude of the place 33° 20’ 02”, and the 
longitude, by the chronometer, Th. 08m. 57s. We must soon 
leave the river. A cross section of it at this point is 118 feet wide, 
with a mean depth of 14 inches, flowing over large round pebbles, 
ns it, at this point, unsuitable fo° navigation with any kind of 
: Sea ‘ AF : 
The height of our first camp on the Del Norte, one mile north of 
San Felippe, indicated by the barometer, was 5,000 feet, showing 4 
we had descended, from Santa Fé, 1,800 feet. 
Here the height is 4,241 feet, showing an average fall in the Del 
Norte, from the camp near San Felippe to this place, of four feet, 
and alf-per mile. The greater part of the way the fall is um 
ep stracted by rapids, and the river flows, for th 
a bed of sand, without any sensible increase or d 
its volume of water. Sometimes its tranquil course is Tip- 
d-by large angular fragments of basalt, trapp, lava, and amyg- — 
oid, which everywhere strew the table lands of New Mexico. 
% present camp is in'a valley 70 or 100 acres in extent, well 
grassed and wooded, and apparently untrodden by the foot of man; 
for here we saw; for the first time in New Mexico, any considera- 
ble “ signs” of game in the tracks of the bear, the deer, and the — 
beaver. Weflushed several bevies of the blue quail, saw a flock of _ 
wild geese, summer duck, the avocet, and crows. , 3 
; Above and below us is a caffon, and on the easterm side of the — 
tiver the Fra Cristobal shoots up to a great height. We saw on its 
sides, reaching nearly to the top, large black objects which we ~ 
. not distinguish with our indifferent glasses, but which must — 
fo a 
ome. 
ae 
“either shrubbery of rocks. , 
_ For the last night or two it has been unusually cold, the th 
mometer ranging from 25° to 32° Fahrenheit, but during thea 
it mounts up to 75° and 80°. — 
_ October 13.—Moved one mile to get better grass. Just as we 
x ee 
be ’ 
# ang 
a 
a? 
foe as 
