The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-30
7 H E r EP u B Ii C.

Report ofLieut. w. III. G. whiting, Corps OF
Engineers, OF the Exploration OF n New
Route from saA Antonio de Bexar 10 Eel
PasO.
SAN ANTONIO, June 10, lS49.
General J. G. ToTrEN,
Chief Engineer Of the United States.
GENERAL The party organized by order of Gen.
Worth as an escort TO Lieut.. Smith, Typographical
Engineers, and myself, on our reconnaissance 10
FL Paso, and under my command, consisted of nine
men, regarded well versed in frontier life and ex-
perience as woodsmen and hunters.
We left San Antonio the evening of the 18th Of
February, and owing 10 the very severe weather, a
wet norther having rendered the woods very heavy,
and the fact that our mules, both pack and saddle,
were many of them wild, and gave great trouble and
delay, only reached Fredericksburg on the 18th.
This town is the last settlement on our route, and
distant from San Antonio about seventy-fve miles,
in direction a little w. of N. The road between
these places is through limestone country gene
rally, well watered and convenient distances, but
often billy and stony. Two days were necessarily
consumed here in procuring additional animals and
provisions-our hasty outfit being found incom-
plete and several of the mules unfit for the journey
before them.
We started from Frederick burg in the evening
ofthe 2lst of February, aud the general direction Of
the courses Of the march having been entrusted by
me TO Richard Howard, esq, the volunteer guide
of the party, we made the best of our way to-
wards the head of the river San Saba. To his ex-
tensve and accurate knowledge Of the country
traversed we were indebted for march through
pleasant and wel-watered valleys, admirably adapt
ed for the purposes of a road, and presenting but
little labor to the pioneer
The general formation Of this part of the country
is secondary. We met with but few evidences of
the Urinary qualifications, and those chiefly on the
Lano, and on the right banks of the San Saba. l
should not judge, from the necessarily hasty and
imperfect examination afforded by the march
through, that the region is at all rich in mineral
products; although we met with evidences that the
enterprising Spanish adventures, in their search
for silver, had traversed the country many years
before US. The interesting ruins of San Sal a fort
their position and extent, and the vague traditions,
among both Indians and white men, of its establish
ment and the existence in its vicinity of rich silver
mines, seem TO contradict this idea but, though
search has often been made for the locality in ques
ZION, have heard of no success, nor can in any
thing to which have access, obtain authentic in
formation TO the object, commencement, and final
destruction Of this fortress.
Leaving the head of the San Saba river in the
morning of the I'd of March, we camped at night
upon a little water found in hole about Is miles
west and barely sufficient for the purposes of our
small party. Ii was the last we were to see until
on the morning Of the Sd, upon the elevated table
plain, a vast limestone formation, extending many
hundred miles, arid and barren and thinly clad with
scattering mezquie, afordlng home for the prairie
dog and antelope alone.
The singular accuracy of Mr.. Towards judy
ment was here evident and in tract he had never
traversed. Leading the trail, he brought US, with
the instinct of bee, to the precise spot where the
party under Hayes and Highsmith had separated
on their return to San Antonio. Here we had been
told we could have water, and from this point ii
would be abundant, until we reached the Pecos.
We passed many places where water once had been,
but for days. starting at daylight, and the last day
marching until IL at night, our painting animals,
alike with their riders, were unrefreshed by single
drop. A slight mist, which molstened the grass on
the night of the 3d. together with the fortunate oc-
currence of cool and cloudy weather, ! believe,
alone enabled the party to get through.
Here we struck creek of the Pecos river, and
saw the strange manner in which the rivers and
creeks break through the vast limestone strata
that, many feet above their, beds form the
great table land The descent from the latter
is generally difficult, often mpracticabe. Perpen-
dicular limestone bluffs bounding the level plain,
and rising like steps from the river and cut by
deep ravlnes. which show the whole elevation In
the form of truncaied cones the general obsta-
cles Occasional passes are found, however, and
on one of these we were fortunate TO hit
This remarkable rirer, of which SO little Is
known, rises in the noun 'ains near Santa re, ana
entering the limestone formation IN about the iati
tude of 80 ~, It's valley gradually contracts unti
at length, IT is found near It's mouth Winning ainu
perpendicular cliffs for hundreds of niles rolls
q red and rurbid stream by channel of only rory
feet IN width and rarely varying, with great rapG1y
and intricate winnings 10 the eastern point Of the
large bend Of the Rio Grande. The fords are not
numerous or easy
q. I.
bridge Of lve-oak logs for the passage of packs
The first is not pleasant but the taste soon
becomes accustomed to 1t. This Is probably ow
Ang to the vast salt and mineral plains through
which II runs further 10 the porthward
Our route lay up the bank for some forty miles.
As II advanced nothing could exceed the appear
ance Of desolation and barrenness gradually
sumed by the neighboring country. Bare and bleak
hills Of the same monotonous table formation, and
the almost entire want of timber or even foliage,
make the landscape desert. The only wood To be
had here, for travelling purposes is the stunted mez
quite which here and there furnishes sufficient for
cooking. Much travel would soon exhaust that
The weary march, without water, had rendered it
necessary to recruit the mules by short marches
and long rests, and II not until the 18th that
we lett the river by west course % miles Of
prairie, occasionally nersected by dry gullies and
clothed with growth Of chaparral, brought US TO
snrine the first Of a remarkable range. They APP
bear 10 extend along the base Of the Chanste Sierra
Strongly mineral in their character, large quantities
of various kinds OF salts found encrusied on
the grass near them. They are pleasant to the
taste Destitute Of any mark by which II may be
known there IL water at hand, the traveller before
he il aware OF il finds himself Immediately upon
clear and refreshing spring. There FIVE Of these
as vet found by us, though many more may exist,
generally from 10 TO 20 miles apart, and about Is
from the base Of the mountains. Small creeks
generally flow from them for short distance and
then sink into the prairie. Want Of proper fac-
ties prevented an analysis Of the salts which APP
peared on the grass hard by.
Two Of these springs are designated on the maps
Of Weslizenus, the intelligent and learned gentle
man who accompanied the exhibition under Don-
phan, as the OIo Leon and 0jo Escondido-but put
down probably from report, or the maps OF the
Mexcans, their position and course are not correct
Our direction was now assumed generally west,
IN order to leave the mountains known as the
Cbarrate and Diabolo on left, and avoiding the
rough country in this manner, afterwards strike IN
.yutheriy course for the Preside. We were uu' C.
ouaoted with the nature OF the great region TO our
rygbt. The blue peaks Of these mountains were
nloinlv visible and we bore for them.
A. we approached, the whole aspect OF the coun-