El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-22
CONTINUED from Yesterday

CONTINUED from Yesterday
December % to December 31.-On
he morning of the 23d. we left the Big
springs Our road now lay over a
high arid plain. perfectly destitute of
Enthusiastically even a sprig of meZ-
quite. except in the neighborhood of
water-holes. For miles. the country
would be a perfect level. and then a
slightly rolling prairie: it seemed des-
flute of all growth of anykind. and
nothing TO be see upon ii except the
antelope and wolf and prairie dog town.
The grass was scattering and misera-
bly, poor; occasionally a small spot of
mezquite was found. This continued
until the commencement of the low
kand hills. a distance from the Big
springs of about seventy-six miles.
At the distance of twenty-One miles
were the Mustang springs" There
was nothing to indicate their presence;
few scattering chapparral bushes
we're growing within half mile of them.
but in proximity to the water were no
rees or bushes of any kind A low
prairie of about a hundred yards in ex-
Fent. in form very nearly circular.
nd boundede by low bluffs. composed
principally of white limestone. COM
aims several small ponds of water.
bne or two pretty deep. and the rest
hot containing much water. The taste
f the water is fiat and sweet. being
Tightly brackish. From the number
{ trails leading to them, n the mum
ber of mustangs which came to water
here. and the quantity of flag and 9TH
Vegetable matter growing in and about
hem. / judge the water to be perma-
lent. Several springs were fOundb ub-
bling up in the ponds. Upon reaching
he sand hills. we found for the first
welve miles. low ridges of sand run
ing parallel to each other. plains of
he same kind interspersed between
hem. with small hillocks. The sand
Eas here of a black color. Then come
he white sand hills. which are real
an object of curiosity. They are a
erfect miniature Alps of sand-the lat
pr perfectly white and clean: in the
midst of them you see summit after
ammit spreading out in every direc-
on, not a sign of vegetation upon
hem-nothing but a piled upon
and. They form a belt two or three
tiles. in width, and extend many miles
b a northwest direction. But {, matter
the greatest surprise is to find large
Fater holes among them: they are
bund at the base of the hills. are large,
eep. and contain most excellent wa
er. cool. clear and pleasant. The wa
Er is permanent. A great deal of veg
able matter and young willow trees
Re found on their banks This was
he first water we found since leav-
g the Mustang springs dis
nee of sixty-seven without any,: du-
ng this entire distance we found no
&dications of any whatever. Instead
going above the sand hills. We
Fossed them following a large Indian
oSl nuor fhom- and fhQn taking I'M
hr course. we reached the Pecos in
Eenty-two miles. The first two miles
as over the and hills: and a difficult
|d~ertaking it was to cross our wagons
lie country was then a slightly-ro1ling
airie. a hard. sandy soil. A thick
Fowth of chaparra1 extended from the
nd hills to the bottom Ian of the
ecos. The grass was Indifferent. and
e soil poor and unproductive. A low
hge bounded the bottom land, the
tier being about a mile wide where
struck the Pecos. The course of
e stream was nearly east and west:
width was about forty feet: and.
ing too deep to ford. we encamped on
left bank. 1t answered well the de-
ription given me by others, and was
lily a rolling mass of red mud
thing to indicate its presence but a
e of high reeds growing upon its
nks. Along its banks o find nu-
brous lakes. the water of which is
ar, but still ven more brackish than ,
1T of the river. On December 80, We F.,
kched the Peco5, the point at which /
reconnaissance was to end-a dis
ice of four hundred and ~ninety-two 7
les from ort Washita. From this :
animation we may conclude that, for
distance passed over. a more advan- ,
teous country for roads of any kind I
mot be found-for hundreds of miles
,ost a perfect level, well watered the {
Eater portion. and well timbered. I
stands u~nrivaled by any other portion g
Texas that / have seen. The sand I
S and the scarcity of wood and wa C
from the Big springs" to the Pecos
IN the only objection. We carried /
gons with us throughout the entire S
lance. without the slightest diff S
ty. The grass is mostly the fine t
ly mezquite, the best for grazing y
poses. No hills or mountains to t
N any obstacle, and no work to C
Ike a road required. The whole
ntry is entirely different from t