84 
FREDERICKSBURG 
days has varied but little. The soil is poor and the 
grass scanty, except near the water-courses, with but 
few trees. For a wagon road it is admirably adapted, 
and scarcely requires a spade, except at the river 
crossings, which might be improved by a little levelling. 
No animals, except wolves, antelopes, and rabbits, have 
been seen. Along the banks of the streams are pecan 
trees, from which we supplied ourselves with this 
delicious nut. 
An incident occurred to-day which deserves notice. 
Soon after leaving the Green Mounds a rattlesnake 
was seen in the path, and was passed over by my 
carriage. Mr. Cremony, who was riding immediately 
behind, discharged his pistol at it ; and at the same 
moment the snake darted at the hind leg of his horse. 
He dismounted, and on examination discovered by a 
drop of blood the spot where the reptile had inserted 
his poisonous fangs. In less than half an hour after the 
horse began to limp and show the effects of his wound ; 
and his lameness increased until we reached our camp 
an hour later, by which time the leg had greatly 
swollen as far as the thigh. Dr. W ebb now got out 
his medicine chest, shaved the hair from the wound, 
and applied some remedy. He also scarified the place 
and used the air-pump, but nothing seemed to check 
the swelling. The horse was now unable to stand, 
and thus he was left till morning. 
October 2Qth. i^rom our camp the Concho runs 
east for a mile, then north-east for about twenty miles, 
and afterwards in an easterly course again for about one 
hundred and twenty miles, when it empties into the 
Colorado. Near our camp, and for some distance on 
