MOUNTAIN PEAKS. b5 



propose to ascend Otter creek to the mountains, and passing down 

 through the chain, shall make a careful and thorough examination of 

 the geological character of the formation, and any other objects of 

 interest that may present themselves in our route. 



Red river, above the mouth of Otter creek, which was at a stage 

 above fording when we passed up, is now only two feet deep, and flows 

 at the rate of about three miles per hour. 



Fresh buffalo-tracks have been seen to-day, and six deer and one 

 turkey brought in by the hunters. 



July 13. — This morning, for the first time in several weeks, we have 

 had a rain, which has refreshed and revivified the whole face of the 

 country. Previous to this the ground had become so much parched 

 from the lack of moisture, that vegetation was suffering considerably. 

 The herbage in the valley of the creek appears to have felt the drought 

 more than upon the elevated prairies ; here it has put on a yellow tinge, 

 and a perfume is emitted from it similar to that of fresh hay, while upon 

 the more elevated plains it still retains its deep green attire. Nine deer 

 have been killed to-day, and I again marked two upon my list. 



July 14. — Captain McClellan and myself started out this morning to 

 make an examination of the country along the upper portion of the 

 valley of the creek, while the command crossed and encamped about 

 four miles above our position of last night. 



There is much more woodland towards the sources of the stream 

 than I had supposed. Black walnut, pecan, hackberry, elm, and cotton- 

 wood, are among the varieties of timber found here ; the mezquite is 

 also abundant near the mountains. 



Many of the trees in the bottom are straight and of sufficient dimen- 

 sions to make good building material, and there is an ample supply for 

 the farmer's purposes. The soil in the valley is for the most part a 

 dark, rich alluvion, sustaining a dense carpet of herbage, and I have no 

 doubt would yield abundant crops of grain. 



The stream extends in two principal branches back to the mountains, 

 where they receive numerous small tributary rivulets flowing from 

 springs. The course of the principal branch is northeast and southwest, 

 and is about twenty miles in length. The mountains here appear to be 

 in groups or clusters of detached peaks of a conical form, indicating a 

 volcanic origin, with smooth, level glades intervening ; and rising, as 

 they do, perfectly isolated from all surrounding eminences upon the 

 plateau of the great prairies, their rugged and precipitous granite sides 

 almost denuded of vegetation, they present a very peculiar and imposing 

 feature in the topographical aspect of the country. From the fact that 

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