Across the Mexican Mountains 125 



and thirteen men went six miles further, and Mr. 

 Browning found himself with three men, four 

 miles ahead of all, with no other assistance, and 

 eighteen mules to care for. These distances between 

 us are the result of the unequal strength of our 

 mules, and one mule and a horse left behind us. 

 A drizzling rain came up as night fell, and we 

 had a miserable night. 



July 2jd. Limestone, sandstone, and huge 

 masses of amalgam of gravel and sand, with quartz, 

 have been all about us. The small plants are 

 numerous; ferns everywhere, a beautiful scarlet 

 honeysuckle is very plentiful, spruce, pine, balsam 

 fir, hemlock and pitch-pine are all seen; our 

 swamp alder grows here to great size, looking like 

 black beech. Raspberries are as good as in 

 Maine, and very abundant in many of the ravines 

 and valleys. The magnificent oak with glossy 

 leaves is here too, and a new species of reed, a 

 perfect miniature of our large cane of the west. 

 Steller's jay, a titmouse, and, I think, a crossbill, 

 have been seen, but no parrots such as we saw to 

 the east of Jesus Maria. Mists and fogs hang 

 over the mountains, and the air is cold and damp 

 unless the sun shines, and then it is very hot. 

 Deep, indeed, is the solitude of this grand country, 

 for but little animation is seen. Often as I sit 

 sketching or writing I hear only the chirp of some 



