TOPOGRAPHIC TERMS OF SPANISH AMERICA 
299 
The foregoing words cover nearly all the characteristic topo- 
gra[)hic forms of the arid region of Spanish America for which 
Ave have no good English equivalents. There remain, however, 
two interesting unnamed forms of valleys in the arid region for 
which I have as yet found no appropriate Spanish Avords. One 
of these is the elongated headwater indentation of a streaniAA'ay 
into a mesa, haAung canon Avails and a notable area of flat, Avide 
bottom. This type of canoned streamAvay is especially devel- 
oped along the coastAvard side of the Great Plains south of the 
Arkansas, and particularh^ along the Llano Estacado and Ed- 
wards plateau, Avhere the heads of all the principal drainage 
incise the plains in this manner. The wide, flat bottoms of the 
streaiUAvay have often been partially refilled by later aggrada- 
tional material. This form of valley is to a certain extent an 
elongated rincon. It ma_y also be conceived as a narroAv plaza. 
The home of the Quohado * band of Comanche Indians Avas in a 
canon of this character where the Red river indents the Llano 
Estacado. For the Avant of a better name, the term quohado 
could be provisional!}'’ used for this type of valley. 
Xearl}^ all the stream A^alleys described above are the result 
of normal drainage following the inclination of a sloping plain 
or mountain side. Occasionally, hoAveA'er, the seaward progress 
of a stream is opposed by an interior-facing escarpment Avhich 
must he crossed. Without here stopping to describe the method 
by Avhich this has been accom])lished, it may l^e stated that there 
are usually great V-shai)e valleys indenting the escarpment at 
such places, constituting a feature resembling a rincon, hut dif- 
fering from it in that the apex of the V points doAvn stream 
instead of toAvard the lieadAvaters, and in that it receives the 
drainage at its Avider end instead of discharging it therefrom. 
Although the Spanish language has fiiled to name this feature, 
the coAvboys have called it the “ Fry-pan valley.” This form of 
topography is a conspicuous feature of the Texas region. 
In conclusion, let us illustrate the a])pro])riateness of some of 
these terms by direct application to tlie Rocky mountain and 
Great Plains region. This, as a Avhole, is com])osed of great 
masses of mountains, cordilleras, and single ranges called sierras. 
Resides these, there are many more or less small, isolated j)eaks — 
tetas, mamelons, sandias, cernjs, etc. The ]trinci]>al cordilleras 
• It WRS ut one time siiKKCHted thiit the word Quoliiido wiie a oormptioii of Quebnidn, 
but Mr Jamea Mooney informs me that such is not the caae, Quohado beinx a Cotuaiitdie 
Word signifying outside 
