1833. 1 SIERRA VENTANA. 109 



second ascent. It was late in the day, and this part of the moun- 

 tain, like the other, was steep and rugged. I was on tlie top of 

 the second p<iak by two o'clock, but got there with extreme dif- 

 ficulty ; eviry twenty yards I liad the cramp in the upper part 

 of botli thighs, so that I was afraid I should not have been able 

 to have got down again. It was also necessary to return by 

 another road, as it was out of the question to pass over the 

 saddle-back. I was therefore obliged to give up the two higher 

 pcciks. Their altitude was but little greater, and every purpose 

 of geology had been answered ; so that the attempt was not 

 wortli the hazard of any further exertion. I presume the cause 

 of the cramp was the great change in the kind of muscular action, 

 from that of hard riding to that of still harder climbing. It is 

 a lesson worth remembering, as in some cases it might cause 

 much difficulty. 



I have already said the mountain is composed of white quartz 

 rock, and with it a little glossy clay-slate is associated. At the 

 heiglit of a few hundred feet above the plain, patches of conglo- 

 merate adhered in several places to the solid rock. They re- 

 sembled in hardness, and in the nature of the cement, the masses 

 which may be seen daily forming on some coasts. I do not 

 doubt these pebbles were in a similar manner aggregated, at a 

 period when the great calcareous formation was depositing be- 

 neath the surrounding sea. We may believe that the jagged 

 and battered forms of the hard quartz yet show the effects of the 

 waves of an open ocean. 



I was, on the whole, disappointed with this ascent. Even the 

 view was insignificant ; — a plain like the sea, but without its 

 beautiful colour and defined outline. The scene, however, was 

 novel, and a little danger, like salt to meat, gave it a relish. 

 That the danger was very little was certain, for my two com- 

 panions made a good fire — a thing which is never done when it 

 is suspected that Indians are near. I reached the place of our 

 bivouac by sunset, and drinking much mate, and smoking several 

 cigaritos, soon made up my bed for the night. The wind was 

 very strong and cold, but I never slept more comfortably. 



September \Oth. — In the morning, having fairly scudded 

 before the gale, we arrived by the middle of the day at the Sauce 

 posta. On the road we sav/ great numbers of deer, and near the 



