The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 48, July 1944 - April, 1945 Page: 263
617 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 24 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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called by the Indians A-hope Ho-nope, or Blue River. Thence, part of the
way, with Connelly's trail to the Pecos, which we reached on the 17th-
followed up the left bank of that river 28 miles, we passed it and struck
off S. 45 W.; at 48 miles made the Toyah, a swift stream, about 40 feet
wide, 18 inches deep, and affording sufficient water power to move any
sort of machinery. The land on its banks is evidently extremely productive.
The Muscalero Indians have corn patches on it. The Muscalero Springs
are at the base of the Pah-cut mountain, and lie S. 70 W. 18 miles from
our camp on the To-yah. Here there was once a Spanish post. There are
peach trees in the vicinity. The mountain affords timber: Pine, Oak,
Cherry, &c., were seen at different places. From the Muscalero Springs,
we turned the northern'end of the Pah-cut mountain, from which point a
valley leads to the Puerto Carriso, upwards of sixty miles, before reaching
permanent water. This pass is full of reddish stone-has quite an abun-
dance of wood and water. It is rough and scraggy. The Puerto del Colo
del Aguila, or Pass of the Eagle's Tail, 40 miles from the Carriso Pass,
and 15 from the Rio Grande, furnishes the next water. At this point,
which is about 100 miles from El Paso, the trail of Lient. [sic] Whiting
leaves the valley of the Rio Grande. Our route from this forward lay
over a loose sandy, chaparral country-full of gullies, ravines, sand hills
and quick sand; the soil, offering impediments to render the transporta-
tion of heavily laden wagons laborious, when dry, would, when wet, be-
come boggy, and in a manner, impassable.
The want of water and the enumerated difficulties induced Major Neigh-
bors to report this route, from the Pecos, impracticable.
The return route is the one adopted as safe and practicable at all sea-
sons. We travelled it from San Eleazario, twenty miles below El Paso
to San Antonio in twenty-two days. From Austin, the trip to El Paso
can be made on horseback in twenty days or less. The distances here sub-
mitted, were calculated at four miles to the hour in going out, and three
and one-third miles in coming in. It is quite probable the estimate is too
high. We were mounted on mules.
The general features of the country over which the road passes admits
a division into four sections.
SECTION ONE
Comprises the region from Austin to the head of the Concho or Blue
River.
The two routes west of the Colorado differ very little. Face of the
country uneven, in places hilly, elevated prairies, vallies fertile and
covered by forest trees; water plenteous. There is a good wagon road
from Austin to Fredericksburg, also from Austin to the Enchanted Rock,
Capt. Highsmith's former station.-The route leading up the east bank
of the Colorado, and crossing above the mouth of the San Saba, keeps
the divide between the waters of the Brazos and the first-mentioned stream;
it has been opened for sixty miles. The character of the country, high,
undulating prairies, interspersed with timber; vallies of rich land,
abundantly watered; the firmness of the soil and its freeness from bog-
ging when wet, adapt it admirably to the establishments of roads.263
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 48, July 1944 - April, 1945, periodical, 1945; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146055/m1/281/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.