94 
FREDERICKSBURG 
probably meaning a plantation of live-oak, is applied 
to the growth of shrubbery which forms a striking 
feature of the country. We have no similar growth 
at the North to which it can be compared. One may 
travel for days without seeing a tree higher than one’s 
head ; yet the whole country is covered with a thicket 
so dense as to be almost impassable to man or beast. 
The shrubs composing these thickets are, for the 
greater part, excessively thorny. The principal are 
shrubby mezquit ; rosin wood, or creosote plant, a 
most disgusting, strong-smelling shrub; koeblerinia, 
called “junco” by the Mexicans, a plant armed at all 
points, every branchlet or twig being sharpened 
down to a spear ; and various species of yucca. These 
last, particularly the kind known as Spanish bayonet, 
are truly formidable, their stiff sharp-pointed leaves 
being capable of inflicting a dangerous wound. The 
thorny shrubs enumerated, with various species of 
prickly pear and other cacti, make up an alliance 
which one soon learns to treat with proper respect. 
We had no sooner got into camp than one of the 
fattest oxen we had just secured was killed; and such 
a treat of fresh meat as we had, cannot be appreciated 
but by those who have lived on salt pork for nearly 
three weeks. We made great calculations on having 
fresh beef the remainder of our journey, by driving 
the other two oxen with us ; but during the night they 
escaped. We made a diligent search for them the 
following day, but they could not be found. 
I have omitted to notice an incident that occurred 
soon after emerging from the pass in Castle Mountain. 
Anxious to find the Pecos, I sent off men to search for 
