. HfeAD OF NAVIGATION. 89 



dations than any other position that is now occupied by the troops in 

 Western Texas. This post would be about one hundred and forty miles 

 distant from Fort Arbuckle; two hundred miles from Fort Washita; 

 and one hundred and twenty from Fort Belknap ; and being near Red 

 river, (which it is believed will prove navigable, at a good stage of 

 water, nearly as high as this point,) the troops could probably be fur- 

 nished with supplies at a lower rate than at any of the military posts 

 in this part of the country equi-distant from the seacoast. 



Should it become necessary to march troops or transport supplies 

 between the military posts upon the headwaters of the Brazos and Santa 

 Fe, a better route cannot be desired for wagons than the one we have 

 followed from Fort Belknap to the confluence of Cache creek, continu- 

 ing up the north fork of Red river to near its source in the Staked 

 Plain, and thence across in a northwesterly direction to the Canadian 

 river, upon the south bank of which will be found -a distinctly- marked 

 wagon-trace, travelled by California emigrants in the summer of 1849, 

 which leads in a very direct course, over lirm and smooth ground, to 

 Santa Fe. There is a bountiful supply of all that is essential to the 

 comfort of the traveller and his animals upon this route ; and good 

 wood, water, and grass, are found so abundantly along the entire dis- 

 tance, that he need not make a single encampment without them all. 

 The distance, measured along the route over which we travelled, from 

 Fort Belknap to the mouth of Cache creek, is one hundred and twenty 

 miles ; from this point to the head of the north fork of Red river is two 

 hundred and thirty-seven miles ; to the Canadian, twenty-five miles ; 

 thence to Santa Fe, two hundred and ninety-five miles ; making the 

 aggregate distance between the termini six hundred and seventy-seven 

 miles. These distances, as far as the Canadian, are measured upon the 

 route over which we travelled in our explorations ; and although its 

 general course is reasonably direct, it is in some places circuitous, and 

 cculd probably be shortened so as to reduce the distance to about six 

 hundred and forty miles. The navigation of Red river with steamers 

 of light draught is practicable at all times to Shreveport ; and about 

 four months of the year they have ascended without difficulty to Fort 

 Towson. 



During the past season, at a time when the river was at a low stage, 

 a steamer drawing three and a half feet of water had no difficulty in 

 ascending as high as Preston, near the confluence of the Washita. 

 Several boats had previously reached this point upon the river ; but as 

 there are but few settlements above here, there has as yet been no 

 inducements held out for boats to attempt the navigation of the river 



