Santa Fe gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1859-1864, 1864-06-18
(NUNIBER l NEW SERIES) }

concerned but the waters become q great
deal moro scarce. The Colorado ChiquitO
is a sandy beidcd stream, About twenty
yards wide with deep banks and about
eighteen inches iccp it increases little
in size 0nl depth as you travel down it;
the watotis somewhat brlckish and becomes
very diSagreeabIy SO below the crossing,
On account Of small salt sucam which
comes into it below that point from the
SOUTH the grass Is Of a poor Qualityjin fact
similar to the tall wire grass which grows
in the bottoms Of The Rio Grande; the sJiI
books pretty fair in places; there is great
deal ol alkali mixed with it, and in case Of
farming in this valley | think it would be
quite difficult aud expensive job to keep
an accquia in repair; the average width Of
the valley is about one mile; there is an
abundance of cotton wood all the way down
the stream from the Junction of LcrouX's
Fork at the north Of Diablo Canon, which
is the whole distance Travelled in the River
Valley (about sixty miles,) About the
crossing, the banks average about nine feet
deep, and below it they gradually increase
in depth, in some places as much as twen.
ty feet; it is very difficult to find safe
place to cross it or to water stock as it is so
very mirv and quick sand; the grass on
the hills is Il good qnality Of grama, but
this winter it was perfectly dry and black,
showing that tbrre has bccn a oreat
dr9urbt for some Years mast. tbc river hot.
tom shows also evidences Of yery larro
rresbots SO that in coso poople ever settle
on it for formino pnrposes thew must build
there houses on the biDs al some distance
from tbe River ami make nm their minds to
lose h crop occasionally, from the heirbt
of tbc ddfi wood collected on tba timber 7
should SUPPOSE tbol tbo I.esLets rise even
as high as twenty feet, thereby 0ooding
the wholn valley
After leaving tho Colorado ChiquitO I
know oIbut two places worthy of mention,
namely Antelope Springs and Volunteer
| Springs; both Of ithcse places if the Indians
shall be subducl will be valuable stock
ranches | was not particular in noting
down the direction travelled, both on ac-
count of being very busiIy engaged other
wise and that Major Willis, report (who
preceded me- would show all that better
than any that could make.
From the time of my arrival at Fort
Whlp2o A. I. up to the lth OF February
1864, nothing oil consequence happened;
this day had been fixed upon by the Cover
nor to start in his exploring expedition IN
search for site Tor the future Capital OF
the Territory, as 1t however ralned the
whole OF that day and showed the next
three succeeding days, we were compelled
to delay our departure until the ground
should dry up sufficiently to hold up our
animals which 1t dld ny the 18TH OF the
month
Feb 18th Left Fort Whpplo A. 7. with
fifteen enlisted mon twenty nine days ra.
tons and forty rounds Of ammunition to
thomm. Major Il. b. Willis lst Inft. Cal.
Vols also accompanied His Ex Governor
Goodwin en- this expedition with larger
command; our general direction in travel,
ing to reach the San Francisco River was
east south cast;nothing however Of import.
ancc happened until tie 9th inst. when
we surprised party Of Indians in the up.
Der valley of the San Francisco and sue.
ccedcd in killing five Indians, the Mo. Vols.
who were able to come up behind bravely
During the expedition with His Ex., the
Governor, nothing practicable wasachiev
ed, we travelled through some of the rough.
EST country that Ievcrsay the upper valley
Of the San Francisco is wide and apparent,
! ly very fertile, the banks are fringed with
cotton wood, ash, willow and walnut trees;
the river is about thirty Yards wide aver,
aging two feet in depth and running very
swiftly; there arc evidences of immense
rrcshcts even as high as thirty aud forty
feet, the average width of the valley is
about two miles, in some places great
deal more in others less; we travelled up
the valley about twenty miles; tho general
course of fine River in The valley ia about