35 



in abundance, but I savY none in bloom. I noticed here the Hilar ia 

 mutica at intervals among the meager growths of buffalo-grass. 



We turned off a short distance from our track and camped at night 

 by a rocky ravine where were wells of good, clear water. At this place 

 I found a number of interesting grasses ; some fine tussocks of Eriocliloa 

 sericea. Panicum unisetum, Panicum reticulatum, and Panicum ciliatissi- 

 mum. I noticed many cactus plants along our route, mostly of different 

 species from those of the Opuntia. It is between San Antonio and Devil's 

 Eiver that the prickly pear in Texas seems to be most abundant ; but 

 the shrubby-like Opuntia arborescens is common towards the Pecos and 

 farther west. Leaving the plateau, we descended a hill into Live Oak 

 Creek Valley, where I noticed the Spanish bayonet ( Yucca baccata) in 

 abundance. Near the creek I saw a few clumps of Mulilenbergia Texana 

 and Andropogan saccharides. We passed a large goat ranch. I saw sev- 

 eral of the goats feeding on the foliage and shoots of the bushes. 



From Live Oak Creek, graced with its lordly oaks among the other 

 timber, we rode on to the Pecos, and camped by its side near the mouth 

 of Live Oak Creek. The alkaline, muddy water of the Pecos presented 

 a strong contrast to the clear water of the creek. At the foot of the 

 hill I found two or three blooms of Panicum leucopluvum, and near the 

 river Ccnchrus tribuloides and Clitoris cucullata. On the bank of the 

 river I found a few stalks, just starting into bloom, of the common 

 grass of the Pecos, Sporobolus airoides. This locality was favored in 

 one place with a covering of the buffalo-grass, the best patch of it I had 

 seen since leaving San Antonio. Crossing the river we rode for some 

 distance on the other side, where I found a few small patches of buffalo- 

 grass of very meager growth, till we arrived at Pontoon, a station of 

 one building, with a store. Prom here we took a direct course to Stock- 

 ton. A mile west from Pontoon I saw the last vestige of the buffalo- 

 grass on the journey, and I noticed a few straggling plants of Pappoplw- 

 rum apertum. The appearance of these and a few specimens on the divides 

 in Yal Verde County might lead one to infer that this species (P. aper- 

 tum) is capable of resisting drought better than many other grasses. 



Our route in Pecos County was through as desolate a region as any 

 we had yet traversed. The hills in view on either side of us looked 

 more barren than those east of the Pecos Eiver. Already on our ex- 

 pedition we had taken precaution to obtain water in passing from one 

 locality to another. In this part of the country we were obliged to be 

 still more careful. The keg we had with us was an important requisite, 

 but sometimes we rode long distances before finding water for the two 

 mules that composed our team. We managed to keep a supply of corn 

 or oats for the mules; at this season, of course, placing no reliance on 

 grass at any point for even a " pretty fair picking." We overtook two 

 emigrant teams en route for Xew Mexico, and the owner of one of them 

 informed me that two years ago he had traveled over that same region 



