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Show 220 TEAVELS AND ADVENTUEES IN THE FAE WEST. CHAPTER XXXLV Romantic Pass-Rio Virgin Valley-Sterile County-River Bottoms-Acacia Groves- Abrupt Descent-Formation of the Country-Pah Utahs-Indian Bow and Arrows- Orange color Berries-Effect on the System-Digger Indians-Baptized into Mormon Faith-Steep descent-Divide between Rio Virgin and Muddy Rivers-Difficult travelling- Muddy River described-Author lends his Horee-Approach to the " Great Desert." WE slowly ascended some sloping hills, which brought us after an hour's ride, on the broad table land. The view then back towards the valley, was sublime beyond description. I made a sketch of it on the spot. Continuing our travel for two hours we halted at a spring of clear water, impregnated with iron. We watered our animals, as it was the last water we should see, until we arrived at the Rio Virgin (Virgin River), twenty-five miles distant; an hour was allotted for the animals to crop some (of the anomaly of this country), bunch grass, which abounded near the spring. We then started for the Rio Virgin, the approach to which, was through the most beautiful and romantic pass I ever saw : it is a natural gorge, in a very high range of mountains of red sandstone, which assume, on either side, the most fantastic and fearful forms; many look as if they were in the very act of falling on the road below them. The valley of this pass is narrow, but abounds in the most luxuriant grasses and delicate-tinted flowers; a |