Memoir of a tour to northern Mexico

In roe Senate or THE Untrep StrateJanuary tS, 1848.The Committee on paige to whom were referred the resolutions submitted by Mr. Benton, v ved, 'That there be printed, for the use of the Senate, pies emoir, of Dr. Wislizenu s through the northern parts of jan to Col. Doniphan' s column, being a history of the Doniphan, with scientific observatio ns upon the face of ae hoagie or lithographed, for the use of the Senate, Ss map which accompanies the same; also thesrometria map of the profile of elevations above bee -Louis, in Missouri, on the line of march of said anta Fe in New Mexico, and thence by Chihuahua, the pimi, Parras, Sea and Monterey, to Reynosa; on the o Gra so th ber of the geological map, and thie « same oe of.the table of meteorological observations, which accompany the nee ia, be it resolved, That copies of the said see? with the ompanying maps, be printed for the use of Dr. Wislizen rt, that there be printed: for the use of the Senate 5,000 copies of the ) and that there be lithogra phed a like number of the seb accompa nying the same; also 200 copies for the use of Dr. Wislizen us At te st : ASBURY DICKINS, Secretary.* ~ , ' with some indistinc t fossils; the other an argillace ous, soit, 7[ 26 ]May 27.-Made eight miles in the morni ng, to Switzl er's creek, a fine runni ng water.In the aftern oon we passed three small creeks , and encampe d on the fourth , Fish creek, (10 miles.)May 28.-P assed inethe morni ng two small creeks , and halted at noon on the third, Pleas ant Valley creek, (15 miles.) The camp deserv es its name: there is good grass, and plenty of water and timber , the three great requis ites of aprai rieca mp.On the opposi te bluffs exist two kinds ofjim etone: one is compa ct, white , like the carbo nifer ous limes tone near S t | campe d in the prairie , as we had taken wood and water 29.-Went five miles to Bluff creek, also a bea any other on this road.A strip from halfa mile to one mile in width of timber skirts the water-course ; the trees are full grown and of good size, and consist mostly of oak, hickor y, walnut , elm, ash, ete.The vegeta tion is quite luxuri ant, and the soil very fertile."For agricul ture, as well as raising stock, the place would Be excelle nt.The bluffs on both sides of Counci l Grove consist of a grayis h argilla ceous limest one, without fossils .Severa l graves of Indians , as well as of white men, are here erected in the usual prairie manner , with rocks heaped upon the ground.ouncil Grove forms, as it were, a dividin g point in the charact er of the country east and west of it.he country east of itis formed of prairie, with slight ascents and descen ts-con stant undulat ions, as I might call them;. sometimes shorter and more rapid; sometimes larger and fuller, resemblin g the waves of the ocean, which no doubt once covere d those plains, and partly moulde d their presen t form.Of those slight undula tions, the barometrica l measur ements will give eviden t proof.Big Blue camp was 1 feet elevat ed above the sea; Counci l Grove is 1,190; and the highes t intermediat e point is 1,420 feet, on the divide betwee n the waters of the Osage rally less fertile than in the easte rn portio n, but all along its water -Ly : os.courses (as Cottonwood creek, Little Arkansas, Walnut creek, Ash creek, [26] 8Pawnee Fork, and along the Arkansas ,) settlemen ts might succeed, though the' a have to depend more upon stock-rai sing than agricultu re 'May 3 -We went in the forenoon 15 miles from Council Grove, to Diam ea A Ri radually ascendin g.We killed en the road some large anipes, enlis t ae long-bil led curlew, (Numeni us longir ostris -W ilson,) and saw the first antelope s.In the evening we travelled seven miles further, -enca oe in the prairie, without water: soil generall y good, and grass Bi 4sing the '' Lower springs,'' we travelled 14 miles to W4alhigh plain, where no prominent object relieved the eye of the prairie.In the afternoon we encountered a ater a drenched condition, we started this morning for e F ieik miles,) a fine camp, with cotton trees, (Populus Cansil st on this road, and willows along the creek, which forms, j cular bend, a natural corral.The Malva papaver, with its ~~ violet Mower; was here very common.In the evening we travelled six _ files farther, and encamped near a water-pool.On the road to our night camp I found some bog-ore in the prairie, and a great deal of yellow, brown, and bluish gata combined with the hydrated oxyde of iron; which sandstone, as I have often to mention it, I will for brevity's sake call ginous siadictone; For the first time, we that night put guards out, as we were then approaching the country of hostile Indians.June ravelled the whole day again over a high plain, the favorite resort of the antelope; halted at noon near Litile Turkey creek, (12.miles,) and camped beyond Big Turkey creek, in the prairie, without water, (10 miles.June 3.-Reached at noon the Liiile Arkansas, (12 miles.)On the march we e perceived for the first time, to our left, at a distance of about 10 miles, the low sandy blufis of the Arkansas river, partly wooded with cotton trees.The Little Arkansas, its tributary, was now a small, very fordable creek; but when swelled by rains it becomes a wild torrent, overflowing its steep ban nks, and the whole valley.The soil is sandy; grass rather indifferent.For the first time on our road I found to-day the representative of a dry sandy region-a prickly pear, or cacivs-that constant companion of mine In my travels through Mexico.It was the Opuntia vulgaris, with its bright yellow flower.Charming as are all the brilliant flowers of the cactus family, more charming yet, to use no harsher expression, are their thorns, hooks, and prickles.A man collecting them ought either to provide himself with nerves of iron, to become insensible against pain; or, better still, with iron gloves, to handle them unpunished.On the bluffs near the Little Arkansas I found a spotted, yellow, eaarcens citrate without and.loose pieces of ferruginous sandstone.In the evening we trav-, six miles, and encamped in the prairie, kai water.On the an me met with @ train of 22 wagons from Bent's Fort; they reported to that the Camanches and Pawnees were very hostile, and had killed ie of their men on Pawnee Fork.June A. -The morning was very chilly; we passed several ' datense that most of them died the same night; an = ers, in vation commenced eating the ears of t e dea 63. ~The Cimerron at our night campisa fine running eee, with ond grass, "re ae elevation of our night camp is 3,830 feet.Toé the Cimarron pases as regions.In lookin back from here iovania the Arkansas, it is hardly necessary to remark, that this whole | ene , from the mueipott the Arkansas to the crossing of imarron, wiki never be settled, from "the scantness of grass, the scarcity

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