30 



tion on rocks. At a place called Painted Caves, near the 

 lower crossing of the Devil's river, are also a few paint- 

 ings of a similar character. 



ANCIENT SHELL BANKS. 



Mr. Triplett and Judge Pickett, late members of the 

 Legislatdre, inform me that there are numerous artificial 

 shell mounds along the coast, thirty to fifty miles inland 

 in the southeastern part of the State. Charcoal beds where 

 fires were made are also there at and near the surface. 



In the State collection is a vase about fourteen inches, 

 high and eight in diameter at the top. It is of darkbrowii 

 pottery, and has some rude carvings or marks on the out- 

 side. It was found beneath a ledge of rocks by Mr. Wm. 

 Ditto, near Graham in Young county. It had been slightly 

 covered with earth, and some animal had dug and partly 

 uncovered it. 



HEIGHTS ABOVE THE SEA. 



The following measurements of heights were made with 

 one of Green' s improved and compensated aneroid barom- 

 eters of late date (1875), and may be relied upon as being 

 nearly true : 



The country west of Fort Concho is higher than is gen- 

 erally supposed, and its ^nountains are higher, the highest 

 probably being in the neighborhood of Fort Davis and at 

 the head of the Limpia, on whose waters the fort is sit- 

 uated, at the base of some precipitous mountains, at an 

 elevation of about five thousand feet. Ten or twelve miles 

 west of the fort, near the Bl Paso road, is what is generally 

 supposed to be the highest mountain in that region, a 

 mountain which is a prominent feature in the laBidscajje-, 

 being seen from long distances. It being unnamed and its 

 height unknown, I went to its top and found it to be 

 seven thousand four hundred and fifty feet high; it being 

 the highest point which I have visited in the State and 

 several hundred feet higher than any mountain in the 

 States east of the Mississippi river. I have named it in 

 honor of Richard Coke, our present worthy Governor. 



Farther west there is another prominent mountain, the 

 highest at Eagle springs. This is six thousand five hun- 

 dred and fifty feet high. It has been supposed by many 

 to be higher than the preceding, because it has been looked 



