14 BAROMETER BROKEN. 



of us. We continued on for four miles further, when we reached a fine, 

 bold, running creek of good water, which we were all rejoiced to see, as 

 we had found no drinkable water during the day. We encamped about 

 four miles above its confluence with Red river. 



This stream, which I have called Otter creek, (as those animals are 

 abundant here,) rises in the Witchita mountains, and runs a course 

 south 25° west. There are several varieties of wood upon its banks, 

 such as pecan, black-walnut, white ash, elm, hackberry, cotton-wood, 

 wild china, willow, and mezquite ; and among these I noticed good 

 building timber. The soil in the valley is a dark loam, and produces a 

 heavy vegetation. The sub-soil is argillaceous. Otter creek is fifty 

 feet wide, and one foot deep at a low stage of water.* The country 

 over which we have passed to-day has been an elevated plateau, totally 

 devoid of timber or water, and the soil very thin and sandy. We have 

 not yet come in sight of any buffaloes, but have seen numerous fresh 

 tracks. Antelopes and deer are very abundant, and we occasionally 

 see turkeys and grouse. Captain McClellan was so unfortunate as to 

 break his mountain barometer last night, which is much to be re- 

 gretted ; as we had brought it so far in safety, we supposed all danger 

 was passed, but by some unforeseen accident it was turned over in his 

 tent and the mercurial tube broken. Fortunately, we have an excel- 

 lent aneroid barometer, which we have found to correspond very accu- 

 rately with the other up to this time, and we shall now be obliged to 

 make use of it exclusively. 



On ascending Otter creek this morning as high as the point where it 

 debouches from the mountains, I found the timber skirting its banks 

 the entire distance, and increasing in quantity as it nears the mount- 

 ains. The mountains at the head of the creek have abrupt rugged 

 sides of coarse, soft, flesh-colored granite, mixed with other granulated 

 igneous rocks. Greenstone, quartz, porphyry, and agate are seen in 

 veins running through the rocks, and in some pieces of quartz, which 

 were found by Doctor Shumard in the bed of the creek, there were 

 minute particles of gold. As the continued rains have made the ground 

 too soft to admit of travelling at present, we are improving the time 

 by laying in a supply of coal, timber, &c, for our journey on the plains. 



May 24. — It commenced raining again during the night, and has 

 continued without cessation all day. 



* The temperature of the water in the creek at our encampment we found to 

 be 72° F. 



