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Show 142 southern face. To the south, the gradual rise of the main slope, presenting a mass of timber to the eye, runs up to the west. Here it drops down nearly vertically, 500 to 600 feet into a broad valley, extending through the range, varying in breadth from j mile to 4 miles. Beyond the valley again rises the crest, vertically, or nearly so. From there it slopes off again into the plains through which runs the Zuni Creek, on whose banks is found the old town of Zuni, one of the ancient " seven citiesw discovered by the old Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century. The whole range is very finely grassed and, at the time we were there, well watered, although some of the springs are said not to be permanent in very dry seasons. To the southeast from the range are a number of extinct craters, and it is but sorry work to the surveyor to go through them. Although beautiful natural triangulation- points, they were only beautiful as such, for in traveling over them the animals had almost no grass and were without water three days. Tbe shoes were torn from their feet by the sharp points of lava. Leather ones were substituted. Everything was done to try to save their hoofs, but without success. Two of the five died. The other three were nearly worthless for sometime. One poor brute had his hoofs worn away till the bone protruded below the hood Another had his leg broken by breaking through the shell over a large lava- bubble and becoming wedged in the crack. The men were too much exhausted, nor had they torches, to explore a cave discovered in the lava, which seemed in its black depths to be of immense size, running in the direction of the great flow which extends for miles aronnd. Hungry and utterly worn- out, they reached the main camp Angust 16, leading their animals. From here, after one day's rest, the party was again divided ; the topographer with one man was sent north to occupy Mount Taylor, thence to cross over to the Pueroo at Casa Salazar, from there into the Jemez Mountains, thence into Santa ¥ 6. Refitting there, he was to return to Banded Peak to do the little work left undone earlier in the season? The main party proceeded to Sheep Spring. From here work was done to the southwest, in tbe Sierra Verde and Mesa Lucera, by the assistant topographer and myself. We Buffered some from want of water ; at two camps in succession we had but a pint each, and that strongly alkaline. After a hot day's work, nothing is more necessary than water; food can much more readily be dispensed with. In a perfectly- dry climate, where evaporation from the body is so great, it needs but a short abstinence from water to produce suffering. Returning from the Mesa Lnoera, we found the main party encamped at Juelites, a forsaken little Mexican town in a broad, brownish- red flat, where everything looks burned up; the adobe- houses, the parched soil, the gaunt goats, the lean dogs, the very men, look as if they were being slowly consumed by hunger and heat. Few towns in New Mexico will compare with Juelites. Our first camp after leaving this place was at Isleta, on the Rio Grande, which we were glad enough to see. It is an Indian town, some 15 miles south of Albuquerque, on the west bank of the river. The fruits, grapes, and melons were just ripening, and were a great treat to us. The grapes of the Rio Grande Valley are particularly good, being in flavor very similar to the California grape. The country traversed from McCarty's ranch was mainly a succession of sandstone mesas. The valley of the San Jos6, through which runs the principal road, has on its north mesas of red sandstone, capped with white, rising in successive steps about 800 feet above the valley. South of the valley the Mesa liucera, some 600 feet above the valley, stretches to the southwest, till it unites with the foot- hills of Cerro Verde to the southeast, till it reaches the foot- hills of the Ladrones Mountains. It is gently rolling on top, gradually rising to the south in a line of small hills. The surface- rock is basalt. Near the town of El Rito, which is some 12 or 14 miles west of Sheep Spring, is » deposit of gypsum. The water is strongly impregnated with the salts of lime and soda, making it almost undrinkable. The grass has been fair, but was well eaten oft throughout the whole valley of the San Jose. The herds of tne Mexican town of Cn-bero, the Indian town of Laguna, and the Mexican and Indian towns of El Rito, fill the valley to its full grazing capacity. This stream finds its outlet in the Puerco, just to the north of Quelites. The latter stream, flowing between high banks of sand and clay, mainly the former, is qnickly drunk up by the porous thirsty earth, and, though a fine stream at its head, it barely runs water enough at this point to indifferently support two or three ranches, and a large part of the year is perfectly dry. Between Quelites and Isleta, on the narrow neck of land, are several craters, which form very pretty cones. Being entirely bare of timber, they were a valuable acquisition in tbe secondary triangnlation. The valley of the Rio Grande, up which our route lay, is a broad open valley i* which not more than a fourth of the land has been utilized for agricultural purpose* that could be taken advantage of. Passing through the towns Pajarito, Padillas, and Atrisco, we reached Albuquerque, the county seat, and second only to Santa Fe* in si20 in the Territory. Formerly a military post, there remains but the falling walls to sho* where once was the garrison. In a low bottom but little above the river- bed, the location does not strike one favorably, and yet it is quite a thriving place. From Albuquerque to Santo Domingo, indeed to Pefia Blanca, the fields were looking well & a |