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Show [ 24:3 J 54 ~olitary dwarf J~ine, it is entirely bnre. Evcrywhrre within six ~r right feet of the o-ronlld where the .. nrfnce i ~ sufiici ntly :::mooth, rllld 1n ~ome places sixty ~r eirrl;ty feet abov , the rock j~ in 'crilwd with the Jlatnes of trarcll 'r . l\fany 0 a name famous iu the hi to1y of this country, m1d ~ome well-known to science, nrc to be found mixt'd among tho~e of the trader.' and of travellers for pleasure nnd curiosity, n11d of mi~sionnrics among the c.;avagcs. Son1c of' these hnve been wn hcd away by the Jain, but the gn'aler number arc till very legible. The position of this rock is m longitude 107° 56', Inti tude 42° 29' 3G''. "\V e rcmai ned at on r cnmp of A ngust I !'t nntil noon of the next day, occupied in drying meat. By ob e1vation, the longitude of the place is 107° 55', latitude 4~0 :29'' 5G''. Augu 't 2.-Fivc miles nbove Rock Indcpend nee we cnme to a J11ncc called tlJC D vil's Gate, where the Sweet \Vater cnt' throngh the pomt o( a <rranitc rid.!!e. 'l'IJe le1wth of the })llSSil!rC i~ nbout three hundred ynrds, ~ ... b t....l and tile width thirty-five yards. Tlte wall · of rock arc vertical, and about four hnndr~d feet iu height; ill1U tl1e 'trc<1m i11 the ga~e is almost en tirely <.:hoked up by nta srs which have f<t llru from ttbovc. In the wall , 011 the right bank, i a dyke of trnp rork, rutting through a fine -o-r;tincd gruy granit e. Near the point of rhis ridae crop out .orne. trata of the Vitlley formation, consi ting of a g rn yish micaceous snndstone, nnd fine ~rnincd conglomerate, and marl. \Ve cncampt'd eight mile above rho Deril's Gate, of which a view is crivcn iu tJ1c nnnexcd plate. ,.rhcrc wa!'; no timher of nny l\iuJ on the river, !Jut good fire· were made of drift wood, aideu by the bois de 1:achc. \Vc had to -ni rriJt no hcltcr from the rain, which commenced with squalls of wind abo !It snn 'Ct. The cotwtry here i~ exc uling-ly picturesque. On f'it hcr side of the vall ey, whid1 i four or five miles' broad, the monntain~ ri c to the height of twelve and fifteen hundred, or two thousand ff"et. On the sorlth ide, the range appears to be tiniliercd, and to-night is lnnJinons with fires, probably the work of the Indians, \vho have ju t pn sed through the valley. On the north, uroken and granitr mnsses ri e nbrnptly from the ~Teen swnrd of the river, tcrmiuating in a li11e of broken summits. Except in the crevices of the rock, and hcr'c and there on a I dg-c or bench of the montJtnin; where a few hardy pines have clustered together, thc~c arc perfectly bare and destitntc of vegetation. Among- thc8e mas es, wherc.. .. therc arc omet ime~ isolatrd hills and ridges, Q"reeu valleys open in upon the river, which ~ " cep · the bn c of these mountain: for thirty six miles. Everywhere its clecp verdure nlld profnsion of beautiful ilower' is in pleasing contrast with the st ' rile grnnd ur of the rock, and the IJarrennc of the snndy plai1t, which, from the rirrht bnnk of the river weeps np to the monutaiu ran <re thnt forms its sou then~ bonndnry. rrhc O'J'Cat evaporation 011 the . andy soil of this cJe\'atrd pJnin, and the saline <'fflorcsccnces which whiten the a round and shine like lakes reflect- . -, I mg the un, mnke a oil wholly ntlut for t:ultivatiou. Au . .!rust 3.- We were early on the road then xt morning, travcll ing along the nplntHl part of the valley, which i::; over<rrow11 with arte'lllisia. cattercel ahont on the plain n.rc occa. iorwl small isolntf"u hill . One of these :vhich l cxaJ~linccl , nbont fLfty ft'et hi~h , con~iste<l of white clay and marl, Ill ncarly .honzontal strata. 1 c'V"'ral l>artd , of buflillo made th ir appearance tn-J.ny, w~th herds ~f ant lope; n11d a ~ri7.zly hear- the only one we encoun tered dtmng the Jo.urn ey-. - was. f' ('ll . cramhliug np anwng- the rock~. As we pa ... scd over a slt crht n sc ncar the river we cauol1t the fir st vi ew of the ~ ' ~ • - lf=.:_=====------------c--1 :I I I II L-----·---· -~=--·=-~~=· ==~======================= |