The Arkansas advocate., 1830-06-30
AGouzszTEoN A cE TEXAS. ;,


 From the American Quarterly Review for
 March, 1880.
 Considerations on tue proprietg and necesssi-
 t0 of dnHe95Rg tte ProUiRce of Teras 10
 ilse United States:-5g q Regolleiioa1,.3. 0Blcer. New York, 1899.
 Face of the Coalntrg.-Although the southwestern quarter of Texas presents broken and irregular appearance. no elevation deserving the name of noun tains, in it's enlarged sense, exists with. in its limits. In the adjoining prov. inee of Coahuila, mountains of great el- ovation, extend in ridges. nearly paral- lei with, and at a mean ddffsttaTrce- Of IT miles southwest from the Rio Bravo. The great peak near Monterey, is called "cnrra de Ia Silla," Saddle mountain.} from the resemblance at the top to a Spanish saddle, when viewed from the Salinas road.
 The same chain acquires increased z elevation ear Candela. and can be seen at the distance of 80 or l03 miles, enyel- oped in clouds, and it's high peaks eoY- cred with snow during a great part Of the year. The entire country. for many leagues southwest of Afancloya, is ex- ceedingly mountainous, aad generally destitute of timber. The mountain ran ges of Texas, in which the Colorado Guadalupe, and Nueees have their sour ees. are of tho third and fourth magai- tude. Those extending along the right side ofSan Saba river, are probably the highest; their elevations, however. are matter of mere conjecture, as no scien- tihc means have yet been employed to obtain accuracy in this particular. 4 considerable elevation will no doubt be found on a careful measurement, at the sources of the Nueees. Guadalupe, Col orado 6yc.; for while the streams above draw their waters from springs quite re mote from each other, we find those riY- CTS, together with the puerco and seFer- al other branches of the Rio Bravo. rising within circle of less than iiity miles in diameter; thus indicating an elevation far above the surround ing table land. From this nucleus. chain of mountains. or rather high hills. extend in every direction. The ose most deserving notice, is that chain which divides the waters of San Saba from those of the LIano, and Is unques- tionablY a prolongation of the Ozark mountains of Major Long. Before il intersects the Colorado it attains to aa immense height, and forms what is call ed the Great Peak, a few miles to the south of the mouth of San Saba, and near the right bank of the former river. Thence it ranges to the north, separates the waters of Pecan and San Andres rivers, and turning eastward, terminates in peak on the right bank of Brazos, nearly opposite to the outlet of NolaDd river. \ spur from this chain extends towards the east, and forms the dividing xidge between the Medina and the up- per branches of the Guadalupe.
 The great springof Guadalupe. issues from tue eastern end of this chain, which also gives rise to the fountains in the VI cinfty of Bexar. Another spur leaves the principal chain near the sources ol the Guadalupe and Llano rivers, and becoming gradually more depressed, il its course towards the east, Is finally lost near the great spring of San Marcas A succession of sand hills extend from the latter, commencing at the source 0 piedernales branch of the Colorado and passing towards the northeast, sub side before they reach the bank of the iatter.-The fountain of San Lucia i situated in this chain, near the source of the Piedernales. The next chail in point of elevation, leaves the one jus mentioned, at the first fountain of th, Colorado, pursues northwest direc ton, and joins the Guadalupe mountail of Humboldt. about 300 miles from it point of outset. This chain forms tn boundary between Texas and tn territory of Santa Fe or New-Nfexico and state of Chihuahua, and divides th waters of Rio Bravo from those of tn Brazos and Colorado. It's mean eleva ton must be considerable. and will n doubt be found, on a careful examina tion, to exceed in height the mountain of San Saba whichare generally regard cd as the most elevated. The thir, chain in order, extends towards th, north east, divides the waters of Piedri pinta from the San Saba, and Concha rivers, and is pierced by the Colorado