RIVER TERRACES. 35 



struck it, with but a very small portion covered -with water, aud, very 

 much to our astonishment, for the first time, upon tasting it, we found 

 it free from salts. Following up the stream about a mile, we discovered 

 that this good water all issued from a small stream that put in upon 

 the north bank, and above this the bed of the main river was dry. As 

 there is an incrustation of salt upon the bed of the river below the creek, 

 where the water has subsided after a high stage, I have no doubt but 

 that the water above here will be found to be impregnated with salts, 

 and that all the fresh water now found in the river comes from the 

 creek mentioned. 



Along the whole course of Red river, from Cache creek to this point, 

 we find three separate banks or terraces bordering the river ; the first of 

 which rises from two to six feet above the bed of the stream. The 

 second is from ten to twenty feet high ; and the third, which forms the 

 high bluff bordering the valley of the river, is from fifty to one hundred 

 feet. The first bank is in places subject to inundation, and generally is 

 from fifty to two hundred yards wide. The second is never submerged, 

 and is from two to fifteen hundred yards wide. The third bank bounds 

 the high prairie. We found the range of sand-hills still continuing 

 along the river ; and we have constantly during the. day been in sight 

 of the line of bluffs which I supposed to be the border of the "Llano 

 estacado." We also passed the trail of a very large party of Indians, 

 who were ascending the river before the I last rain, (some two weeks 

 since.) 



After leaving the river on our return to camp, we found two fine 

 brooks of cold spring water, with good wood and grass upon them, and 

 as they are in our course, I propose to make our next camp upon one of 

 them. 



June 14. — Making an early start this morning, we travelled eleven 

 miles in a westerly course, when we reached a very beautiful stream of 

 good spring water, flowing with a uniformly rapid current through a 

 valley about a mile wide, covered with excellent grass. There is a heavy 

 growth of young cotton-wood trees along the borders of the creek, and 

 among them are found immense quantities of that peculiar variety of 

 grape I have before mentioned as growing in the sand-hills along the 

 valley of Red river. They grow here upon low bushes about four feet 

 high, similar to those cultivated varieties that are trimmed and cut 

 down in the spring. When growing near the trees they never Test 

 upon them, like our eastern varieties of the wild grape, but stand 

 separate and erect, like a currant-bush. 



