74 LA JORNADA DEL MUERTO. 
cipices, while the various clefts and crags, 
which project their gloomy brows over the 
abyss below, seem to invite the murderous 
savage to deeds of horror and bloo 
There is a tradition among the arrieros from 
which it would appear that the only road 
known in ancient time about the region of 
the Jornada, wound its circuitous course on 
the western side of the river. To save dis- 
tance, an intrepid traveller undertook to tra- 
verse this desolate tract of land in one day, 
but having perished in the attempt, o has ever 
after borne the name of La Jornada del Muerto, 
‘the Dead Man’s Journey,’ or, more strictly, 
‘the Day’s Journey of the De ad Man’ One 
appears very certain, that this dangerous 
pass has cost the life of many travellers in 
days of yore; and when we at last reached 
Robledo, a camping-site upon the river, where 
we found a undance of wood and water, we 
felt truly grateful that the arid Jornada had 
not been productive of more serious conse- 
quences to our party. We now found our- 
selves within the department of Chihuahua, 
as the boundary betwixt it and New Mexico 
passes not far from Robledo. 
We were still some sixty miles above Paso 
del Norte, but the balance of the road now 
led down the river valley or over the low bor- 
dering hills.) During our journey between 
this an Paso we passed the ruins of seve- 
ral settlements, which had formerly been the 
seat of opulence and prosperity, oe — 
have since been abandoned in conseq 
