ON ITS EXTERIOR. VOLCANOES. 395 



the eastern one, from 36 10" lat. northwards (a little to 

 the north-east of Santa Fe), has received from American 

 and English travellers the now everywhere recognised, 

 though not happily selected, name of the Kocky Moun- 

 tains. The two chains form between them a longitudi- 

 nal valley in which Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos 

 are situated, and through which the Rio Grande del 

 Norte flows. In 38^ N. lat. the valley is closed by a 

 chain running east and west for nearly 90 geographical 

 miles. The Rocky Mountains are continued in an 

 undivided north and south line to 41 N. In this inter- 

 val rise, rather on the eastern side, the Spanish peaks; 

 Pike's Peak (5798 feet), of which Fremont has given a 

 fine view; James's Peak (11,433 feet); and the three 

 Park Mountains, which enclose three high caldron- 

 shaped valleys whose lateral walls rise in the eastern 

 Long's Peak, or Big Horn, to heights of 9060 and 11,190 

 feet. ( 541 ) At the eastern edge, the boundary between 

 Middle and North Park, the chain of mountains alters 

 its direction, and from 40 to 44 N., for a distance of 

 about 260 geographical miles, runs from south-east to 

 north-west. It is in this portion that the South Pass, 

 7490 feet, occurs, as well as the wonderfully pointed 

 and serrated Wind-River Mountains, with Fremont's 

 Peak (43 08') which rises to the height of 13,567 feet. 

 In the parallel of 44 N., near the Three Tetons, the 

 north-western direction ceases and the north and south 

 direction of the Rocky Mountains is resumed. It is 

 maintained as far as Lewis and Clarke's Pass in 47 02' 

 N., 1 12 W. There the chain of the Rocky Mountains 

 has still a considerable height (5977 feet), but on ac- 

 count of the many deep river beds towards Flathead 



