DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY. 
17 
tion of a road over this day’s march, light grades could he obtained. The main item of expense 
would be for bridges and culverts, in crossing the streams. 
Leaving Camp 49, we ascend a branch of the valley of Tucumeari creek, and find detached 
portions of the Llano one-fourth of a mile to the north of station 2. The bluffs upon both sides 
approach the trail near station 4, leaving a valley between about two miles wide. A few hun¬ 
dred yards to the left of the road, between stations 4 and 5, is an isolated hill, nearly conical, 
called Pyramid mountain. Its horizontal stratification shows it to be a remnant of the Llanc- 
A sketch of it was taken, and a description will be found in the geological report. Between 
stations 5 and 6, the width of the valley is increased to several miles. At station 6 there is a 
large pool of water. To the left, the hills are one and a half miles distant; and the width of 
the valley beyond, to Camp 50, on Laguna Colorada, varies from one to three and a half miles. 
Between stations 14 and 15, the ground is marshy and covered with bushes ; below, there is a 
stream. A rugged hill, of the red sandstone formation, bounds Laguna Colorada upon the north. 
Camp 50 lies in the basin of Laguna Colorada, near large pools of shallow water. Between 
stations 2 and 3 there is a thick grove of cedars ; and the valley opens to four and a half miles 
in width. Near station 7, the trail crosses a rocky hill, which is sprinkled with pine trees. 
Station 10 is in a valley one-fourth of a mile wide—a branch of Pajarito creek. Opposite station 
13, the hill-slopes contain timber of cedar and pine. There is a large pool of water at station 14. 
The range of bluffs continue upon the left of the trail, but recede from the right, making room 
for the tributaries of Pajarito creek. Between stations 17 and 18 is a ravine, containing pools 
of water. At station 18, the total width of valley is five miles. The slopes are gentle ; the 
bottoms are covered with luxuriant grass. Camp 51 is upon one of the numerous branches of 
this creek. Water is plenty in springs and pools, but is slightly brackish. Large cedar trees 
are abundant upon the hills, about a mile distant. 
From the notes of the survey, it is evident that, from Fort Smith to this place, little difficulty 
would be experienced in constructing a railroad in the immediate vicinity of our trail. The 
reconnoissances, however, covered a larger extent of country; and, taken in connexion with 
the reports of others, have led to some deviations from that line. The section delineated by the 
profile avoids the canon of the Agate bluffs, by passing the table-land south ; re-enters the 
Canadian valley at the mouth of Shady creek ; ascends its banks to the Spanish road, near the 
mouth of Tucumeari creek ; and thence threads the wide valleys that receive the waters of 
Laguna Colorada, Cuerbito, and Pajarito creeks. This route enables us to avoid the ascent to 
the Llano Estacado at Rincon de la Cruz, and to maintain more nearly the uniform grade of 
the valley. The trace marked out, near Lieutenant Abert’s trail, crosses to the north side of 
the Canadian valley ; it is quite probable, however, that the right bank of the river would 
afford an equally good location for a road, and thus enable us to avoid the construction of 
expensive bridges. 
NOTE. 
Extracts from the report of Lieutenant James W. Ahert , Corps of Topographical Engineers , com¬ 
mencing August 29 th, about ffty-six miles northwest from the junction of Tucumeari creek with 
the Canadian. 
August 29.—We encamped in a beautiful valley which afforded an abundance of grass. In the 
afternoon Lieutenant Peck and I mounted our horses and started off to make an examination of 
the canon. We were caught on a tongue of land which separates the forks of a tributary canon, 
and at length found ourselves upon the brink of a stern precipice fron 150 to 200 feet perpen- 
dicular, and on either side was an impassable ravine. These, uniting at our feet, swept onwards 
to join the river. Through the bottom a small stream of water pursued its meandering 
3 n 
