El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-21

,strip of bottom land. We easily found
a ford, which we were enabled to cross
without labor. its depth being about
two feet. Owing to its red sandy bot
tom. the waters have a reddish appear
ance. though clear, and free from mud.
The Indians call this stream the Colo
RADIO, and much more deservedly than
the one bearing that name on the map
of Texas. The water is exceedingly
brackish. Small streams OF fresh wat
er are found emptying into 1T. which
will serve every purpose In the bot
tom was good grazing or sedge and
water grass. and on top of the bluffs
again spread out the mezquite flats.
Near the Red river the formation
seemed to be sandstone, but on the
Brazos we found some beautiful lime
stone. The bluffs were white with the
large limestone rocks that lay strown
on the surface. Lay by on the third to
recruit my mules. Since leaving Red
river we have met with several tribes
of Indians-Shawnees. Delawares.
Tongues. etc. The Comanches and
| Tongues were united in chasing the
buffalo above the Big Wichita: they al
lowed rs to pass unmolested During
the last few days of November we had
| some extremely old weather. and our
animals suffered severely; the grass be-
came deadened by frosts. and contained
but little n~ourishment.
December 4 to December lion ris-
ing the bluffs of the main fork of the
BraZos. we again found a continuation
of the mezquite flats, over which we
travelled until We reached the hea of
the Double Mountain fork of the Bra
Zos. Day after day the country was
almost perfectly level; one exception
Ialone can be made. n distance of fou or
five miles. ver some high SAM hills.
perfectly destitute Of grass and covered
with low scrub oak: the rest was eth
er meZquite fats or a very slightly roll
ing mezquite country-the distance
! from the Brazos. lis miles. The whole
/ country is well watered by branches of
the Double Mountain fork n the
Clear fork OF the BraZoS: the only dis
tance without water OF any length was
twenty miles. There was but little tim
Der upon these streams upo leaving
the first fork: but the further we ad-
vanced the more we being
the principal growth. The whole u
try was well timbered with meZquite.
but most of it had been killed by prai-
rie fires. The general coure of the
Double Mountain fork is northeast.
both this stream and the main fork
running very nearly parallel. AS its
waters are fresh. and leading at the
same time nea the waters of the Colo
RADIO, it possesse much greater advan-
tages than the main fork for h pur-
pose of travel. 1t is a fine clear stream,
although of no great width; at many
places it runs with a swift current, al
though frequently standing in large
holes or lakes. and in these places eX-
ceedingly deep. 1t has a gravel bot
tom. and in a few places a hard lime
stone bottom. The banks are generally
high. the prairie extending to the edge
~ GN-n
miles from the BrazoS We first struck
Captain Marcy's trail, and then COM
menced following it. At o seventy
miles from the BrazoS, the country.
which had hitherto been very noun
famous. began to assume some new
features; high mounds and low ridges
of hills came in sight, and presented a
new scene. The road. however. left
them mostly to our right. and they con
tinued to extend to the head of the
Double Mountain fork. They offer
not the slightest objection to the road.
our wagons passed along withouy any
trouble CT work. They are low, and
scarcely peal the name of a hill. except
in comparison with the level country
about them: they are a succession of
spurs of oblong mounds. overlapping
each other. separated by deep ravines
and gullies. Upon ascending them. you
Sc esome distance in advance of you
two high peaks, forming prominent
land marks, and near the head of the
Double Mountain fork, from which this
fork derives it's name. They continue
constantly in sight, as your course is
directed towards them. Limestone
abounds upon these hills. The live a
and cedar are first seen upon them.
A eco range parallel to the first. is
seen at some distance further off. A
low country i~ntervenes between them,
and appears to De the basin of the main
fork. During this interval of this time.
We suffered most severely from cold
northers. heavy rains. and terrible
sleets. Our mules had already become
very weak, in consequence of living up
on grass alone-the latter having lost
most Of it's nourishment from the kill
ing frosts which night after night lay
upon the ground. The old affected the
rest: and nine of our animals We're
either frozen to death or left so stiff
with cold as to be unable to be moved.
Our loss would have been greater had
not the men divided their blankets with
their animals. and built immense fires.
from the cold. We found it necessary
to change the party from mounted men
to foot men. and replace the wagon
mules by saddle mules. The COM
mencement of the winter setting in so
severely, we knew not what might
come to pass ere we returned to the set
Elements.
December 16 to December 23-Upon