Ii8 Audubon's Western Journal 



had been in Texas some years, and had learned how- 

 to live in a little comfort. 



July 6th. Santa Borgia. The woods today 

 were most luxuriant as we wound round the gorge 

 that commenced again our ascent to some still 

 higher mountains. Our common robin was 

 abundant, and a large green parrot, with a red 

 head, was seen in every clump of pines, but its 

 uncouth squalling w^as distracting. Except the 

 cardinal and other gros-beaks how few birds of 

 splendid plumage have sweet voices. 



July yth. Pitochi. Today we have followed 

 one of the most extraordinary gorges we have seen, 

 crossing and winding along the banks of a beautiful 

 little stream, till between giant precipices we had 

 almost the sensation that they might tumble in to 

 fill the gap and crush us. One particularly fine 

 white clifif, we judged nine hundred feet above us; 

 topped off wdth high towers of nearly white sand- 

 stone, its sharp lines broken by a straggling pine or 

 scraggy cedar, growing in some of the many 

 fissures, it was so grand that we left it with 

 regret. 



July Qth. Cerro Prieto. I saw today the first 

 water-ousel I ever saw alive in America, and was 

 enchanted with his movements, as he jerked his 

 wren-shaped body with sprightly activity, or with 

 whirring flight went from stone to stone, or sud- 

 denly plunged, in the most unnatural manner, into 



