210 ON THE FKONTIEK, 



vale, with a considerable stream bordered with deciduous 

 trees winding along its centre. Towards the middle of the 

 afternoon we debouched into the main valley, and found it 

 an almost level plain with an extremely sandy soil, covered 

 principally with different varieties of artemisia, some 

 attaining a height of twelve to fifteen feet, with many kinds 

 of cacti, and a general growth of sand and gayata grasses. 

 Our appetites were tantalised by the sight of a distant herd 

 of antelopes wheeling and galloping about the plain ; and 

 by seeing many hares, who jumped up and ran away at a 

 distance that was quite out of shot. It was evident such 

 game as there might be in the San Luis Valley was very- 

 wild ; probably as a consequence of being often disturbed 

 and chased ; for besides its being a regular hunting ground 

 of the Ute' tribe, and of the professional hunters employed 

 for the military post we were journeying to, there are 

 several small Mexican settlements in the valley of San 

 Luis. 



" A little before sunset we crossed the track's of a large 

 flock of sheep going towards a side valley full of timber, 

 and soon after heard their distant bleating, and observed 

 the smoke of their shepherd's camp curling up above the 

 tree-tops. This was suggestive of cooking, and I imme- 

 diately altered our course towards it. We had only had 

 the stone-rabbit to eat, between the two of us, for the 

 last fifty-eight hours, and were quite famished the strong 

 exercise and mountain air having given a keen edge to our 

 appetites. 



" We put our animals to a canter and were soon in the 

 sheep camp. It consisted of a large brush corral, in which 



