436 Sanniife I: ateligrnct 
careous incrustation over the oe enlon' of the rocks below the 
horizontal line. Big crust was evidently coralline, and had been de- 
posited under water; in its interstices were small spiral shells, similar 
to those inhabiting fresh water lakes. On examining the clay, this also 
was found to contain the shells i in great number, and 1 soon collected 
exceedingly numerous, and portions of the surface were thickly cov- 
ered with shells like the ordinary ‘ fresh water clam.” 
We were traveling in a long, gradually cinandidis valley, extending 
eastward towards the Colorado, and evidently the northern and western 
extension of what has been called the ‘* Colorado Desert.” The south- 
ern side of this valley, along under the bordering range on the south, 
is thickly inhabited in its western part by Indians calling themselves 
Cohunillas.” We passed large villages of them during the day. They 
number of * pale faces” to their hitherto almost “unvisited retreat. 
Many of the men oe often been into the settlements, and had learned 
some Spanish and accumulated quite a stock of second-hand clothing. 
Our coming having been duly heralded by smokes and excited express 
riders from one village to the other, the whole population had collected 
to gaze-upon us in wonder, Old hats and odd buttons seemed to have 
athers lived in the mountains. The waters subsided ‘“ poco poco,” 
(little by little,) and they moved their villages down to the valley it had 
left. Suddenly the great waters returned and overwhelmed them, 
rowning many of their people and oe “aK — to the mountains. 
It is their belief that the waters will again c 
At this part of the valley its width batweed ‘ire bounding se is 
probably fifteen miles, and it here widens towards the south. Our In- 
dian guide refused to accompany us further, and “ mucho malo! [" wes 
ty miles on the opposite side: of the valle On our si ide: it was now 
high above our heads, following all the irregularities and sinuosities of 
the rugged granite ridges. Observing a few miles off a place that ap- 
peared accessible, I started with an assistant and barometer to ascertain 
the elevation of the line. Arriving under it, the rocks that had ap- 
peare diminutive in the distance were found to be Suge blocks © of 
nite, pies: with the coralline growth torte = feet thick. Large 
masses of this had fallen off by its own weight d rolled to the foot 
of the cliff. "by the barometer, the altitude of this — line “js nearly 
that of the sea level. The lowest point of the gi is poy ” 
less than five - tome feet below the water lin ‘ 
