. Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean . some three miles below the mouth of Big Sandy creek there flowed aclear rivulet, which then, to our surprise, disappeared beneath a sandy bed that seemed to havebeen washed by arroyos from the hills. After traversing a mile or two of sand, it gushed outfrom the channel like a magnificent spring; flowing and fertilizing its banks for a considerabledistance, then sinking again to reappear below. Several kinds of beautiful fishes were found
. Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean . some three miles below the mouth of Big Sandy creek there flowed aclear rivulet, which then, to our surprise, disappeared beneath a sandy bed that seemed to havebeen washed by arroyos from the hills. After traversing a mile or two of sand, it gushed outfrom the channel like a magnificent spring; flowing and fertilizing its banks for a considerabledistance, then sinking again to reappear below. Several kinds of beautiful fishes were foundin this rivulet, and one was caught. It was quite different from any before seen; had a largehead, was apparently without scales, with black back, white belly, and a red stripe upon eachside extending from head to tail. An owl and a black-tailed deer were obtained to-day; thelatter a long wished for addition to the zoological collection. The botanist, too, has found newforms of interest to him in the vegetable kingdom. Varieties of the cactus family have beendiscovered, and the famed Cereus giganteus is scattered upon the hills which bound the Cereus Giganteus, on Bill Williams Fork. I think it has never before been seen except in the vicinity of Kio Gila. The singular appear-ance of the tall columns, sometimes shooting out one or more branches, communnutes ;i strango 102 VALLEY OF BILL WILLIAMS FORK.—CACTACE^E. effect to the landscape. An idea of barrenness is associated with the whole cactus tribe, de-tracting from the delight with which we .witness the rare and beautiful forms here the valley itself, except whe?e .sand has buried the stream, presents a refreshing prospectof fertility. Willows,.alamo?, and large groves of mezquite, grow in such dense profusion agsometimes to render it difficult to find a passage through them. Beneath the trees, and bor-dering the v;, there is a crop of fresh grass, and occasionally a few spring
Size: 1372px × 1822px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectdiscoveriesingeography, booksubjectn
