12 
COOKS TRAIL.—OJO DE VACA. 
the night, each watching his turn to give his riding-animal another sip. We found near camp 
a greenish rock, with a slightly malachitic coating, closely resembling an ore of copper. 
March 6.—Had during the night high winds, accompanied hy a slight shower. Soon after 
leaving camp we had spread before us another plain of similar character to those before encoun¬ 
tered. The road was firm, over a surface strewn with fragments of a compact chocolate-colored 
igneous rock, with small whitish crystals imbedded. On the right was a large mass of much 
weather-worn metamorphic scoriae. In the bottom crossed another playa, (lake of the sketch,) 
the surface of which was apparently as level as a floor, and so dry and hard that the wagons 
scarcely made an impression. A joking teamster remarked, “Here is your country for a rail¬ 
road.” 
While ascending the slope beyond the playa, we struck into a plain wagon road, crossing 
from the northwest, made hy the boundary surveying party. Following this road we turned 
the point of the ridge, having, however, two or three knolls on our right. We passed over an 
uneven country, the drains and ravines all making southward, in which direction is apparently 
a prairie extending from the playa around the terminus of this ridge to the eastward. Our 
plain road divided up into a number of trails, leading off into various directions; and finally 
losing all traces of them, we took a course eastward, expecting soon to reach the emigrant road, 
(Cook’s wagon trail.) Having made 2*7.9 miles, we camped without water, being again 
unsuccessful in finding an indicated spring. Grass in abundance, hut a scarcity of wood. 
Throughout the day the wind was high and weather squally. 
March *7.—Continued on the course of last evening about a mile, and struck Cook’s trail 
at the very point where Nugent departed from it; the surrounding topography according with 
the sketches ; and, in addition, there were visible faint traces of an old wagon trail. This road 
is here broad and well beaten, being through this region the only route travelled hy the southern 
emigration to California. From this point there extends eastward a prairie, unobstructed hy a 
continuous ridge, over which I should, in accordance with my instructions, take a direct course 
to the Rio Bravo. But, as this would involve the necessity of another ninety miles’ march 
without water, and there being no doubt about the practicability of a railroad over it, I have 
determined to follow for the present the emigrant road into Mesilla, deeming the other an 
undertaking too hazardous with our animals in their present condition, completely fagged and 
leg-weary, the results of a succession of long stretches without water which we have encountered 
since leaving the Pimas, and over which we were obliged to travel with rapidity hy night as 
well as day. 
Following the road a short distance, we struck the arroyo or valley coming down from the 
Ojo de Inez ; but, not finding here any water, we pushed on to the Ojo de Vaca, passing over 
a gently undulating prairie, the slopes and drains of which run southward. Camped, having 
made 12.6 miles, with fine grass, slightly brackish water, and no wood—the roots of the dwarf 
mezquite serving all the purposes of cooking. This spring is situated in a slight depression in 
the prairie, with rounded knobs or knolls on the north, and an insulated rock-capped excres¬ 
cence on the south. The water, flowing hut a few yards, forms quite a marsh, surrounded hy 
rushes and cane; the drain or valley making from it, like those we have encountered since 
leaving the point of ridge east of the playa, (lake,) spreading out into the broad prairie. 
March 8.—Sent this morning two men to Fort Webster, near the copper mines, and about 
fifteen miles north of the crossing of the Mimbres, to report our arrival in this vicinity, and 
invite the officers of the garrison to visit us at our camp on the Mimbres, where we expect to 
remain during to-morrow. From these gentlemen I expect to gain much additional inform¬ 
ation respecting the section of country lying south of the boundary line, parallel 32° 22' and 
extending to the Rio Bravo. 
Allowed our mules to graze until 10, when we started for the Rio Mimbres, having a 
most excellent road over a swelling grassy prairie, crossing at right-angles, as a general 
thing, the line of greatest declivity. Approaching the Rio Mimbres from the west, one unac- 
