

V6 .NEW TRACKS IN NORTn AMERICA, 



placed on a bluff OA^erlooking tlie riyePj and was garrisoned 

 temporarily witli about twenty-fiye men. It was tbe second 

 military station established by Colonel Bent in former days. 

 The first one, known as Bent's Old Fort, is situated thii'ty- 

 four miles farther up the riyer, and is now abandoned. 



Old Fort Lyon was formerly called Fort Wise. It was of 

 considerable size, and although it had been abandoned only 



three months, was so completely dismantled as 



Old Fort Lyon. . ' . . . 



to look like an ancient ruin. Its situation was 

 very unlicalthy, being exj^osed to floods^ and infested with 

 rats and rattlesnakes. So a new site was chosen^ twenty-two 

 miles farther west (where New Fort Lyon now stands), 

 on an eminence on the north bank of the riyer. The hill 

 oyeiiooks the stream^ is well wooded^ and consists partly 

 of a stratum of grey sandstone^ yery good for building 

 purposes. 



On our arrival, all the troops were under canvas ; but the 

 officers' quarters were nearl}^ built, and a large body of the 



masons were engaged in quarrying the stone 



for the privates' barracks, and in preparing 



it for use. If the present plans are carried out, this will 



make a very fine military establishment, especially if they 



continue to build it entirely of stone. 



On the third day after our arrival, Captain Barnitz and his 

 company of cavalry, having escorted us to the borders of the 

 military district of I^ew Mexico, retraced their steps to Fort 

 Wallace. With them went Colonel Greenwood and his party. 

 They did not retui-n the way we had come, but directed their 

 course straight for the fort, and surveyed a very good line 

 across the arid region. Transverse ridges did not cross their 

 path ; but the country was on the whole quite as barren and 

 worthless as that over which we had passed. 



