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jagged ridges are caused solely by the rains 

 and torrents cutting away the land into 

 channels, which at first are merely wash- 

 outs, and at last grow into deep canyons, 

 winding valleys, and narrow ravines or 

 basins. The sides of these cuts are at first 

 perpendicular, exposing to view the various 

 bands of soil, perhaps of a dozen different 

 colors; the hardest bands resist the action 

 of the weather best and form narrow ledges 

 stretching along the face of the cliff. Peaks 

 of the most fantastic shape are formed in 

 this manner; and where a ridge is worn 

 away on each side its crest may be as sharp 

 as a knife blade, but all notched and jagged. 

 The peaks and ridges vary in height from a 

 few feet to several hundred; the sides of 

 the buttes are generally worn down in places 

 so as to be steeply sloping instead of per- 

 pendicular. The long wash-outs and the 

 canyons and canyon-like valleys stretch and 

 branch out in every direction ; the dr\ 

 of the atmosphere, the extremes of intense 

 heat and bitter cold, and the occasional furi- 



