The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-04-18
ON THE MEXICAN FRONTIER.
scenes ON the RiO Pccos and In the RcgiOn
of ~ PnsO.

of VI PnsO.
If one wants to realize the majesty of the
great deserts of the southwest, and the
sublime solitude that reigns on the Llano
Estacado, or Staked Plains of West
Texas, let him journey across the river
Pecos in the direction of Camp Stockton,
which is ffty.two miles south of that
river, and in latitude 80 deg. As min.
and in longitude 102 deg. 80 min.
Travelling across the plains that stretch
away to the northeastward from the
river, over dead-level expanses of prairie,
whose tall grass reaches your horses
belly, and knocks off its dew globules
against your stirrup feathers, you rather
Unexpectedly come upon the Rio Pecos
That wild and lonesome river has, at
least in this longitude, no trees upon its
banks to mark its course in the great and
arid wastes through which it flows, and
your field glass sweeps over its track as
over any other treeess ravine that de-
bouches from ranges of low hills, unsus-
picious of its presence.
THE RIO PECos.
1t is in many respects remarkable
water course. Rising in latitude 36o
and falling into the Rio Graude in 30 40
min, it flows over 400 miles in straight
line. But owing to its extreme siniosi-
ties--greater than any other river in the
world perhaps-its actual length is some
thing over 800 miles. 1t is the most
tremendously crooked stream in exist
ence, and it flows through valley
several miles in breadth, and whose
alluvial oil is of the most fertile descrip.
tion, being composed chiefly of lime,
sulphur and saline sediments from the
river, besides the accumulated rotten
matter of the grasses, When dry it
crumbles into fine powder. The valley
is well suited TO irrigation, and its total
area estimated at many millions Of acres.
The velocity of the current is seven
miles per hour, and would be much
greater but for the great and frequent
meanderings of the channel, which is in
this longitude about 200 feet wide, and
containing ten to thirty feet of dark,
turbulent water. The swiftness of the
stream is owing to its great TALL ten feet
per mile, because its source in the great
Llano Estacado is estimated to be
several thousand feet above the sea, and
only 1000 at its junction with the
Rio Grande. The PecOs runs down a
vast inclined plain, titled to the south
east, and its waters are tinctured with
lime and sulphur, so much so, that
coffee made of it is scarcely drinkable.
THE BANKS OF THE RIVER
rise almost perpendicularly as a wall six
feet from the surface to the level OF the
valley 50 perpendicular that animals
the buffalo and the prOwling wolf--find
it difficult to drink at the waters edge
without plunging headlong into the deep
and swift current.
There are no bridges out in ese vast
solitudes, and the only way to cross this
grandly, darkly rolling river is by swim.
ming it, either alone or with your horse.
Having done so, and leaving the Rio
Pecos behind, and turning to the sOuth>
westward you come into vast aiil
expanse of plains entirely destitute OF
trees or grass, and covered with sand-a
complete desert. in fact. Bare as these
plains are all of vegetation or animal life,
except an occasional village OF prairie
dogs, they are not utterly devoid Of
interest to the man of science. Out OF
the level wastes, and at intervals, as YOU
ride to the southwestward, rise gigantic
and porphyritic masses, some ot then
shooting up perpendicuarly fifty to one
hundred and seventy-five feet, aud witt
side. almost as smooth as glass, showing
as claimed by some, indubitable evidence
of friction during the Glacial period
Net unfrequently, also the wayfarer see
looming up in the dim distance wha
might be taken for an old fashioned
fortress, with its dull outlines of angles
turrets and bastions, but which, on I
near approach, he discovers to be vas
mass OF basaltic rock.