22 APPEARANCE OF GYPSUM. 



who examined it, estimates to cover an area of four or five hundred 

 acres. This is well suited for building purposes, being large, tall, and 

 straight. There is also an extensive tract of mezquite woodland near 

 our camp. 



One of the Delawares caught two bear cubs in the mountains to-day; 

 one of which he brought in his arms to camp. As the mountain chain 

 crosses the river near here, and runs to the south of our course, we shall 

 leave it to-morrow, and launch out into the prairie before us, following 

 up the bank of the river, which appears to flow through an almost level 

 and uninterrupted plain, as far as the eye can extend. I have provided 

 water-casks of sufficient capacity to contain water for the command for 

 three days. I shall always, have them filled whenever we find good 

 water ; and I hope thereby to be enabled to reach the sources of the 

 river without much suffering. I cannot leave these mountains without • 

 a feeling of sincere regret. The beautiful and majestic scenery through- 

 out the whole extent of that portion of the chain we have traversed, 

 with the charming glades lying between them, clothed with a luxuriant 

 sward up to the very bases of the almost perpendicular and rugged 

 sides, with the many springs of delicious water bursting forth from the 

 solid walls of granite, and bounding along over the debris at the base, 

 forcibly reminds me of my own native hills, and the idea of leaving 

 these for the desert plains gives rise to an involuntary feeling of melan- 

 choly similar to that I have experienced on leaving home.. 



June 2. — We left our last night's camp at 3 o'clock this morning, 

 and taking a course nearly due west, emerged from 'the mountains out 

 into the high level prairie, where we found neither wood nor water until 

 we reached our present position, about half a mile from Red river, upon 

 a small branch, with water standing in holes in the bed, and a few small 

 trees scattered along the banks. The latitude at this point is 35° 3'; 

 longitude, 100° 12'. 



On leaving the vicinity of the mountains, we immediately strike a 

 different geological formation. Instead of the granite, we now find 

 carbonate of lime and gypsum. The soil, except upon the stream, is 

 tbin and unproductive. The grass, however, is everywhere luxuriant. 

 Our animals eat it eagerly, and are constantly improving. Near our 

 encampment there are several round, conical-shaped mounds, about fifty 

 feet high, composed of clay and gypsum, which appear to have been 

 formed from a gradual disintegration and washing away of the adjacent 

 earth, leaving the sides exposed in such a manner as to exhibit a very 

 perfect representation of the different strata. 



