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Show 478 The wl AnT, sl1all b Theca ART Santa Rio T del Or ofinh ART Ray ad Fclip1 numb4 dones AR1 AE Arril A1 Sat a Vegl Rant 'l'h 15,0! A Fer t('!', l) l JJ Dor ~ cia J naJ Co I~e bel I Ex. Doc. No. 41. 4 1 of the ce1lar and piiion, with which the banks of the stream are embroidered. St upclHiou masses of grren stone that were once se thing in the bowels of the earth are piled up, IO<'k upon rock-, until but a narrow strip of sky can be , een over head. Th •se rocks art" travers d , in all d ire c t i o n :.; , by n ilr ~· o w seam s of m i I Jc y q u a r t :c: V a r i o us species of cacti and yucca. spnng forth frc1m c very crence where enou5h earth has collected to .alforu them nourishment, aud the cedar ancl pilton stretch out t1Jelr boughs above these plants, as if to prevent the sun from evaporating the little moisture they contain. We encamped, after having proceeded five m i 1 s in to the very l1cart of the caiion; here th c rocks were so steep thnt not on c spot coulcl be found where we mi<rht pa ·turc our mules; we, therefore, cut down boughs of cedar, but the animal~ only nibbctl the1n a little, and we were forced to tic them fast to the wagons to prevent their going off in seatch of pasturage. October 31.-Lnst night we had a terril>] e torm; it con ~istccl of a su<:cess10n of great gusts of wincl, accompanied by rain, bail, nnd snow; the wind roared through the ccclars on the mountain side, with the sound of a grand wa .. trr fall. Our t •nt trcmblt>ci beneath the terrific force of the blast that swept backwards and forwards through the caiiou, and the deep gorge sent forth fic•rce howling~ . J\1 o rn in g at 1 e u g t h dawn c cl , an cl we a r o. e s h i v c r i n g w i t h co 1 <I, a11d gathered around the fire. Our Mrxican guide had been obliged to w~lk about all night, in order to keep warm, for the iire went out <luring the early part of the night. Our muir had had nothing to eat, we, thcref<' c, hurried off quickly, hoping before long to reach a pat ·h of {!rass, where we could halt. vVc soon met with some of Senor Chavez's wagons, whieh had been sent out to procure pine logs fit to make rafters for some ne\Y" buddings. Mixed with the cedar an<l the fir tree, we saw some stuntc<l oaks, "Q. oliver formis;" also some fine specimens of the pitch-pine. Amongst the shrubs, there is a species of holly; it bears s arlet berricc;, ou which the robbins, flickers, and stel lar jays feed with great delight. We n oticecl n urnerous signs of the bear, and our guide said that they were of the black bear. As the road was rough, we had to be careful lest the wngon ihould pset. Defore we had gone ten miles we reached a Je,·el piece of grouncl; hE-re we halted and built a large fire, around which we gathered> while tl1e mules were busily <:ngagcd in appeasing their hunger. After halting an hour we resumed our march, ancl found the eonntry lO.Ore gentle in its aspect, and much easier to travel. We now commenced d eccend ing slow! y, for we had crossed the dividing ridge; the ground was in many places covcre~ with snow, except where it was exposed to the rays of the sun. The air was biting cold. At length we entered the road that runs from Albuquerque to thP famed "salinas," or salt lakes. These lakes afford salt for the whole of this region. Our course \Yas Tery direct, and ai the 31 |