The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 29, July 1925 - April, 1926 Page: 219
330 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
From Texas to California in 1849
could dip up the rain water, and changed our salt water for fresh,
and I felt tolerably safe. Before we reached the mountains, we
found the rain could not have reached them, and we became some-
what uneasy, although I believe the rain water I had would have
taken us through. When we came to the mountain, which is
nothing more than a mountain of immense rocks piled upon each
other in every manner and form. They look as if they had been
thrown into the air and come down as it happened. Here we
found it had barely sprinkled, not sufficient to lay the dust, but
such was the size of the rocks and their facility of conducting
water into different natural basins that we found plenty for our-
selves and our animals. The rain after that had been very heavy
and we found plenty of water to the river. The companies that
were ahead of us suffered considerably, also, part of ours which
came on ahead of us. In fact, I expect we and a few others with
us fared better than all the rest. Some companies have come in
here which started from Fredericksburg a month before us and
struck across from the head of the Concho to the Presidio; they
suffered considerably. Some of them continued across from there
to the Gila, and others came up the river to this place. Among
them were Terry's company. They had a severe trip and lost a
great many of their animals. The River was very high, and they
undertook to come up the valley and had to cross and recross the
river very often. We started two weeks after Thompson's and
Thorn's companies and came in here before them. We found the
far famed Great Western at this place on our side of the river.
She was celebrated in the Mexican War, and did good service in
a number of battles. She is about six feet one inch in height,
and well proportioned. She treated us with much kindness.
The Mexicans have a dread of the Texians and are too short-
sighted to treat them well. We can hardly get anything from
them except at exorbitant prices. Beef eight and ten cents per lb.
Flour $10 per cwt. and every thing else in proportion. There
will be an abundance of fruit here in about a month or six
weeks. . . . The town of Paso is built like most of Mexican
towns, of earth made into dobys; there is only one church, that is
very inferior. There are no buildings here as good as those in
Houston, and it is nothing like as pretty a place. We are as yet
undecided whether to go up the river to Dorango (Sixty miles)
and strike across to Cooke's trail, or go down the river a short219
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 29, July 1925 - April, 1926, periodical, 1926; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117141/m1/239/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.