TO FREDERICKSBURG. 
57 
walked to the hill-top on the right. It had a conical 
shape, with a level surface, scantily covered with low 
shrubbery, and was about half an acre in size. A 
magnificent prospect here opened to the sight, surpass- 
ing in extent any thing we had seen in Texas. To 
the south, the view extended at least forty miles, losing 
itself in the distant hills, which were scarcely distin- 
guishable from the pale blue sky of the horizon. On 
the east and west were elevated points, inclosing the 
valley through which we had for miles been winding 
our way. The hills around us presented a singular 
appearance, owing to their terraced sides. These 
terraces are formed by layers or strata of limestone, 
which jut out from the sides of the hills, the rains 
having washed away the soil. This was characteristic, 
more or less, of all the hills then in sight, though we 
afterwards met more striking ones as we journeyed 
westward. This peculiarity of the hills, from the plateau 
of Texas to the Missouri, has been noticed by other 
travellers, and is represented in many of the scenes 
given by Mr. Catlin in his work on the Indians. On 
the north side, whither we were directing our march, 
lay a broad and deep valley, exhibiting, even from the 
distance, a fertility of soil such as we had not before 
seen. This valley, as far as I could judge, appeared 
to be about twenty miles in length ; though I think it 
extended further, its termination being concealed from 
view by the projecting spurs of the mountains. The 
whole was clad in foliage of deep green, so that it 
appeared like a dense wood. As we approached, we 
found ourselves in an open forest of live-oaks, without 
any under-growth of shrubs. The grass was nearly 
