El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-20

the services of his valuable guide,
Black Beaver. a Delaware. but failed.
as he had so recently returned from OH
a long expedition. | consequently had
to proceed without guide. The course
and distances from Fort Washita to
the Pecos were actually taken. until
we found it in the notes of the survey.
The Washita river having fallen. we
proceeded to cross 1.-THE entire day
being occupied in accomplishing the
crossing of the wagons. To be better
able to impart correct ideas of the
country traversed. | shall extract parts
from my journal of each days march:
November Q. 1S49-This morning
started from Fort Washita. The first
two miles was through the Washita
bottom: the soil rich. red clay mixed
with sand. being excellent cotton land:
the timber cottonwood. hickory. dog
wood. elm. sycamore. and post oak.
The road lay partly on a post OAK ridge.
dry and of a hard. sandy nature. The
Washita river. when l reached it. was
still high. although fordable on horse
back. When low even. il is difficult to
cross. in consequence of the existence
of Quicksand in the bed OF the river.
This stream is about three hundred
miles in length. varying in breadth
constantly. and about forty yards wide
of the great rise in the Red river. The
water is of a bright vermilion color.
and its taste brackish. They speak OF
erecting a bridge across it; the banks
are high and favorable for accomplish
ing it. On the west side. the bottom
land is about half a mile in width. very
dense and thick. and of the same ma
ture The road then passes over
slightly rolling prairie until it reaches
III II Tirr,h To he 1nff
are seen the the low hills along the
Red river: and to the right one con-
tinuous prairie. with here and there
mots of post oak. Several small creeks
were passed: the country seemingly
well watered: the timber growing very
thick along the. The soil was of
sandy nature throughout the entire
distance. The prairie grass was al
ready very dry at this season. the spe-
cies of gramma being most abundant;
here and there. spots of meZquite. Saw
several varieties of cactus today. At
the edge of the Cross Timbers. we
found an unusual formation for this
country: Upon the slopes of the prai-
RE lay large rocks, all of them sharp
and of stabilize form, set in the
ground at angles. edges upright. and all
highly fossiliferous, but no common
direction given them. The distance
-
the Cross Timbers is about nineteen
miles. Encamped on Sandy creek.
November 10 to November 16-The
road for the next eight miles still con-
tinued in the Lower Cross Timbers.
This body of timber commences as far
south as the BraZos. and crosses the
in a northeast direction. To
pass through it. we were compelled to
follow old Indian trails. cutting our
way wherever the wagons could not
pass. Its BREADTH by the road. was ten
miles. The timber generally grows
pretty thick. and upon sandy soil
Post oak, white oak. Spanish oak. black
Jack, and other varieties of oak. to-
gether with elm black and white hick-
Dry. form the principal growth of the
Cross Timbers. The country is rolling
their extent Many small
creeks traverse them. and fine walnut
and sycamore grow upon their banks.
and often cedar is found along them.
The road laid down on the map as the
Old Spring road" leads to spring
which its name implies: the oil is said
10 resemble naptha. and patients al
ready resort to il for its beneficial eff
'eCts. The country near the edge OF
he Cross Timbers became more rolling
md from the highest points the Red
liver could he easily seen. The Low
II are separated iTOIH tHt tioSS 1 iih
Ders by a high rolling prairie fifteen
niles in breadth. by our course. This
prairie is open and entirely destitute OF
imber: the soil is rich until you again
each the Cross Timbers. when 1t be-
.omes loose sand. The upper are vast
y inferior to the lower. both in kind
md quality of timber: the former are
of nothing but scrubby post
yak.
In breadth they are fifteen miles. the
main body extending west as far as
Mud creek. The banks of the streams
them are generally of loose
and and it is difficult for wagons to
ross them: at almost every one of
hem we were compelled to double the
cams and cut away the banks. in or
Ter to cross them. The water is gen
rally fresh. with the exception of Salt
,reek. They are subject to frequent
nd sudden risings. but soon run out.