62 
FREDERICKSBURG 
but little known, a distance of more than six hundred 
miles. Not one of us had any experience in crossing 
the prairies beyond what had been gained in coming 
up from the coast. None had ever encountered any 
hostile Indians, or suffered the hardships which inevi- 
tably attend a journey in the wilderness like that before 
us. I endeavored to procure a guide in San Antonio, 
but was unsuccessful, and, in the last emergency, took 
a man who had driven a team some months previous 
in a train which came to this place from El Paso. 
Judge Ankrim gave me much information about the 
route we proposed taking, and advised me to leave 
the Emigrants’ Eoad, which passes by the old fort on 
the San Saba, and take a more northerly course. He 
said there had been no rain for several months, so 
that the small streams might be dry, and the grass 
poor ; and that to cross the tributaries of the Colo- 
rado nearer their union with that stream would insure 
a greater probability of finding water and grass. 
There was no road or trail along the route he recom- 
mended, until we should strike the Concho ; but he 
marked the courses down on my travelling map, so 
that I anticipated no great difficulty in finding my way. 
We were to continue on the Emigrants’ Hoad for seve- 
ral days, until we crossed the Llano River. About 
two and a half miles from this stream the Judge said 
we would see a mezquit tree close by the road, on 
the right, and a broken limb of another tree sus- 
pended from one of its branches. At this tree we 
must leave the road, which has a westerly direction, 
and strike off to the northwest ; soon after which we 
would cross the San Saba River. Continuing this 
