ADAPTATION OF THE COUNTRY FOR A RAILWAY. Brief remarks on the Geography of the countries traversed by the Boundary Commission, and upon their adaptation for a Railroad connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific. FROM the Rio Grande eastward, between the parallels of 30 and 34 north latitude, lies the great plateau of Texas,* extending more than three hundred miles. Further north it is known as the Llano Estacado, or Staked Plain. This broad district is destitute of forest trees and shrubbery, except along the immediate margin of the water-courses. The belt of forest even here is exceedingly limited, being often confined to the very banks, and never extending a hundred yards from the stream. In this region the Red River, the Brazos, and the Colorado have their rise; but it is not until they have coursed for some hundreds of miles that their banks present any considerable extent of bottom land with its accompanying forests. As they descend from the high table, the valleys expand, the land becomes more fertile, luxuriant valleys appear, and forests of oaks extend for miles. The plateau bears but little grass, and this a short stunted variety, which, after rains, shoots rapidly up, and as speedily becomes dry, affording but little sustenance. Without water and grass this arid belt is an effectual barrier to the progress of the buffalo, which otherwise would cover in myriads the plains of Lower Texas. * A large portion of this desert plateau is now included within the territory of New Mexico, having been transferred to the United States by purchase. About the parallel of 29° 30' the table-land breaks off into numerous spurs, descending to the great plains or prairies, which extend to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in a broad belt from one hundred and fifty to two hundred miles in width. The whole of this district consists of gently undulating plains without timber, save along the margins of the streams, and is covered with the most luxuriant grass. The eastern portion of this plain is watered by numerous streams, and in fertility is unsurpassed by any portion of the globe. western and south-western portion is deficient in water-courses. The Rio Grande possesses few tributaries here worth notice; and south of the Nueces, the streams entering into the Gulf are quite diminutive. But for grazing and rearing large herds of cattle, the land is unsurpassed; and it is evident, from what we saw of wells sunk in the midst of these plains, that water can be found any where within a hundred feet of the surface. The "The indigenous prairie grass is tall, coarse, full of seed at the top, and when young resembles wheat in the spring. But in grasses the glory of the State is the mezquit, found only in Western Texas. It yields a fine soft sward, preserves its verdure in the winter, and beyond all comparison affords the best wild pasture in the world. It has also the peculiar property of retaining its nutritive quality after it has become hard and dry." West of the Rio Grande, from about the thirty-fourth parallel to the Gulf of California, and, I may add, to the shores of the Pacific, and thence south for eight hundred or a thousand miles, this vast region is but poorly adapted to agriculture. It is destitute of forests, except in the higher regions of the Sierra Madre, or great chain of the Cordilleras, or in the defiles leading to them. Timbered land is also found in narrow strips along the water-courses; but these cannot with propriety be termed forests. There are also valleys between parallel ranges of mountains, sometimes two or three miles in width, which derive some moisture from the mountains, where the mezquit and live-oak attain a considerable size. Grass appears only at intervals. The high table-land of Chihuahua exhibits it in the greatest quantity; but even there it is not continuous. Sometimes it is found spreading over districts. fifty or more miles in extent, when a barren interval of thorny chapporal appears, and for miles a blade of grass is not to be seen. Upon the whole I feel safe in saying that of the elevated plateau not more than two thirds can be called a grazing country. But even this presents a vast surface, extending from about the parallel of 32° 40', where the Rocky Mountains suddenly drop off near the Copper Mines of New Mexico (now Fort Webster), to the twenty-sixth parallel. The watercourses here run towards the north, and discharge themselves into lakes which have no outlets. The Conchos alone, a stream which is as large as the Rio Grande, and has many tributaries, discharges itself into that river. It is in that portion of Chihuahua which forms the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre, as I have before said, that the best arable and timbered land is to be found. This, for a mountainous district, is well watered. The district south of the river Gila, between the Rio Grande and the Pacific, for about one hundred and fifty miles in width, is of the most barren character. The summit of the great ridge or plateau is covered with a short grass. On leaving this and proceeding westward come broad plains, with but little vegetation, save the stunted mezquit and other plants common to these arid regions. This broad belt extends to the Pacific, and is crossed at intervals of from fifteen to thirty miles with short and isolated ridges of mountains from one thousand to two thousand feet above the plain, running from north-west to south-east. These at a distance appear like a continuous chain; but on approaching them, they are found to be in short ridges from five to ten miles in length, overlapping each other and affording easy passages across. In this respect these chains differ from the mountain ranges both at terminating in pyramidal points, or resembling towers, minarets, etc. Thus is every thing in these regions peculiar. To indemnify man for the inhospitable deserts and barren soil which occupies so large a space, nature furnishes, embowelled in her innumerable mountains, the greatest variety and abundance of precious metals. The vast riches embedded in the great "Sierra Madre" are as yet little dreamt of; but I do not hesitate to say that for wealth of this description even California will yet have to yield the palm to these mountains. Without entering into particulars about the variety of fishes brought home, I will merely observe, that while at San Diego, California, in May, 1852, Dr. Webb caused a seine to be drawn in the bay, which brought to light some exceedingly interesting specimens, and among them several which, on being opened for the purpose of better preserving them in alcohol, were found, to our great surprise, to contain each ten or twelve living young. They excited much attention at the time, being the first evidence brought to light, as far as we were aware, of the existence of viviparous fishes. The public has been informed of the subsequent discovery of similar fishes in the Bay of San Francisco; but of those found by us in the Bay of San Diego no description has yet been given. Our specimens, after being kept alive in water several days, were sent with other objects of natural history to Boston, where they safely arrived. ADAPTATION OF THE COUNTRY FOR A RAILWAY. Brief remarks on the Geography of the countries traversed by the Boundary Commission, and upon their adaptation for a Railroad connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific. FROM the Rio Grande eastward, between the parallels of 30 and 34 north latitude, lies the great plateau of Texas,* extending more than three hundred miles. Further north it is known as the Llano Estacado, or Staked Plain. This broad district is destitute of forest trees and shrubbery, except along the immediate margin of the water-courses. The belt of forest even here is exceedingly limited, being often confined to the very banks, and never extending a hundred yards from the stream. In this region the Red River, the Brazos, and the Colorado have their rise; but it is not until they have coursed for some hundreds of miles that their banks present any considerable extent of bottom land with its accompanying forests. As they descend from the high table, the valleys expand, the land becomes more fertile, luxuriant valleys appear, and forests of oaks extend for miles. The plateau bears but little grass, and this a short stunted variety, which, after rains, shoots rapidly up, and as speedily becomes dry, affording but little sustenance. Without water and grass this arid belt is an effectual barrier to the progress of the buffalo, which otherwise would cover in myriads the plains of Lower Texas. A large portion of this desert plateau is now included within the territory of New Mexico, having been transferred to the United States by purchase. |