40 m'clellan's creek. 



loam, covered with a heavy coating of wild rye and mezquite ; and if 

 the drought of summer did not prevent, would produce abundant crops. 

 The only varieties of timber found here are the wild china, hackberry, 

 willow, and cotton-wood ; the latter, in some instances, growing to an 

 enormous size. One tree, standing upon the creek near the Canadian, 

 which we measured, was nineteen and a half feet in circumference at 

 five feet above the ground. The Santa Fe road passes directly along 

 the river-bank at this place, and upon the north side of the river stand 

 four cotton-wood trees ; these are blazed, and the distance in a due south 

 course to the head of Eed river, with the date of our arrival there, 

 marked upon one of them. Having finished the examination of the 

 north branch of Red river, we propose turning to the south from this 

 point, and, crossing the elevated prairie of the Staked Plain, shall en- 

 deavor to reach the middle or Salt Fork, which we passed upon our left 

 near the upper extremity of the Witchita range of mountains. The 

 only apprehension that we entertain is, that we may suffer for water, but 

 shall keep our water-casks filled whenever it is practicable. 



The grass upon the Staked Plain is generally a very short variety of 

 mezquite, called buffalo grass, from one to two inches in length, and 

 gives the plains the appearance of an interminable meadow that has 

 been recently mown very close to the earth. 



I have never travelled over a route on the plains west of the Cross 

 Timbers where the water, grass, and wood were as good and abundant 

 as upon the one over which our explorations have led us. This has 

 been to us a most agreeable surprise, as our friends, the Witchitas, had 

 given us to understand that we should find no wood, and nothing but 

 salt water, in this section of country. I can account for their misrepre- 

 sentations only on the ground that they did not wish us to go into the 

 country, and took this course to deter us from proceeding further. 



June 20. — We made an early march this morning, passing over the 

 high hills bordering the river, and the broad swells of prairie adjoining, 

 for twelve miles, when we reached the valley of a very beautiful stream, 

 twenty feet wide, and six inches deep, running rapidly over a gravelly 

 bed, through a valley about a mile wide, of sandy soil, with large cotton- 

 wood trees along the banks. I have called this " McClellan's creek," in 

 compliment to my friend Captain McClellan, who I believe to be the 

 first white man that ever set eyes upon it. 



We were happy, on arriving here, to find the water perfectly pure and 

 palatable ; and we regard ourselves as most singularly fortunate in having 

 favorable weather. The rains of the last two days have made the 

 atmosphere delightfully cool, and afford us water in many places where 

 we had no reason to expect it at this season of the year. 



