﻿152 
  EEPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  and 
  south. 
  Local 
  names 
  have 
  been 
  giv^en 
  to 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  by 
  the 
  set- 
  

   tlers, 
  denoting 
  their 
  appreciation 
  of 
  zoological 
  science. 
  Trout, 
  deer, 
  

   elk, 
  grouse, 
  gopher, 
  owl, 
  and 
  other 
  animals 
  have 
  been 
  brought 
  into 
  

   requisition 
  to 
  supply 
  appellations 
  for 
  creeks 
  that 
  are 
  important 
  only 
  

   perhaps 
  as 
  landmarks, 
  indicatiug 
  the 
  boundaries 
  of 
  landed 
  property. 
  

   Traveling 
  up 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  tributaries 
  we 
  cross 
  Weeminuche 
  Pass, 
  

   10,G70 
  feet 
  above 
  sea-level, 
  and 
  find 
  ourselves 
  on 
  Pacific 
  drainage, 
  at 
  

   the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  Rio 
  Piedra 
  tributaries, 
  on 
  a 
  creek 
  that 
  we 
  have 
  named 
  

   Weeminuche 
  Creek. 
  From 
  there, 
  in 
  a 
  southeasterly 
  direction, 
  to 
  Pagosa 
  

   Peak 
  (station 
  38), 
  the 
  streams 
  issuing 
  in 
  deep 
  canons 
  from 
  the 
  rauge, 
  

   belong 
  to 
  the 
  drainage 
  of 
  the 
  Piedra. 
  Beautifully 
  clear 
  waters, 
  cold 
  from 
  

   the 
  melting 
  snow 
  of 
  the 
  high 
  pleateau, 
  all 
  join 
  near 
  station 
  40 
  and 
  form 
  

   the 
  swift 
  Piedra, 
  that 
  carries 
  its 
  water 
  for 
  40 
  miles 
  farther 
  southward 
  

   into 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  at 
  station 
  67. 
  Rio 
  Nutria, 
  one 
  of 
  its 
  main 
  branches, 
  

   heads 
  just 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  Pagosa 
  Peak. 
  From 
  this 
  mountain 
  southward, 
  

   all 
  the 
  streams 
  flow 
  into 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  after 
  but 
  a 
  short 
  run. 
  The 
  San 
  

   Juan 
  itself 
  heads 
  near 
  station 
  19, 
  and 
  making 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  curves 
  that 
  are 
  

   so 
  characteristic 
  of 
  volcanic 
  countries 
  of 
  this 
  character, 
  leaves 
  the 
  

   mountains 
  about 
  12 
  miles 
  southeast 
  of 
  Pagosa 
  Peak. 
  Its 
  main 
  tributaries 
  

   are 
  Rio 
  Blanco 
  and 
  Rio 
  Navajo. 
  Of 
  these 
  the 
  former 
  heads 
  near 
  station 
  

   19, 
  enters 
  the 
  lower 
  country 
  opposite 
  station 
  77, 
  and 
  joins 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  

   at 
  station 
  74. 
  Its 
  name 
  is 
  appropriately 
  given, 
  for 
  the 
  whitish 
  shales 
  

   and 
  marly 
  clays 
  it 
  passes 
  through 
  impart 
  to 
  the 
  water 
  a 
  color 
  that 
  some- 
  

   what 
  resembles 
  that 
  which 
  an 
  admixture 
  of 
  white 
  paint 
  would 
  produce. 
  

   Rio 
  Navajo 
  is 
  longer 
  than 
  Blauco, 
  and 
  carries 
  more 
  water. 
  It 
  rises 
  

   northwest 
  of 
  station 
  87, 
  in 
  the 
  mountains, 
  and 
  flowing 
  first 
  in 
  a 
  south- 
  

   erly 
  direction 
  through 
  a 
  narrow 
  valley, 
  suddenly, 
  upon 
  emerging 
  from 
  the 
  

   mountains, 
  makes 
  a 
  sharp 
  turn 
  of 
  90° 
  to 
  the 
  west. 
  After 
  following 
  a 
  

   general 
  westerly 
  course, 
  with 
  several 
  bends 
  north 
  and 
  south, 
  it 
  enters 
  

   the 
  San 
  Juan 
  near 
  station 
  72. 
  Its 
  southern 
  drainage 
  is 
  quite 
  extensive, 
  

   though 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  creeks 
  do 
  not 
  reach 
  the 
  Navajo 
  during 
  the 
  dry 
  

   season. 
  Recrossiug 
  the 
  continental 
  divide 
  near 
  station 
  62, 
  we 
  are 
  

   once 
  more 
  on 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  side, 
  and 
  find 
  here 
  the 
  drainage 
  of 
  the 
  Rio 
  

   Chama. 
  This 
  stream 
  heads 
  immediately 
  south 
  of 
  station 
  84, 
  and 
  fliows 
  

   through 
  a 
  narrow, 
  glacial 
  valley 
  into 
  the 
  open 
  country 
  due 
  south. 
  In 
  

   this 
  latter 
  is 
  the 
  settlement 
  of 
  Tierra 
  Amarilla, 
  with 
  its 
  three 
  towns, 
  

   Ojos, 
  Puenta, 
  and 
  Nutritas. 
  Near 
  the 
  latter 
  Rio 
  Brazos, 
  coming 
  east- 
  

   ward 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  mountains, 
  flows 
  into 
  the 
  Chama. 
  Both 
  streams 
  carry 
  

   a 
  considerable 
  amount 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  are 
  utilized 
  for 
  purposes 
  of 
  irriga- 
  

   tion. 
  The 
  settlement 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  thriving 
  one, 
  composed 
  entirely 
  of 
  Mex- 
  

   icans, 
  while 
  a 
  few 
  Americans 
  own 
  the 
  stores 
  and 
  hold 
  the 
  Indian 
  agency 
  

   there 
  established. 
  Agricultural 
  pursuits 
  and 
  the 
  raising 
  of 
  sheep 
  and 
  

   cattle 
  speak 
  well 
  for 
  the 
  generally 
  indolent 
  character 
  of 
  that 
  class 
  of 
  

   settlers. 
  

  

  Immediately 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  mouutaius, 
  all 
  these 
  streams 
  just 
  men- 
  

   tioned 
  enter 
  rich 
  vallejs. 
  Tall 
  pine 
  timber 
  covers 
  the 
  low 
  ridges, 
  separ- 
  

   ating 
  them, 
  while 
  meadows 
  covered 
  with 
  excellent 
  grass 
  are 
  lound 
  near 
  

   the 
  water. 
  The 
  elevation 
  is 
  such 
  as 
  to 
  produce 
  a 
  delightful 
  climate, 
  made 
  

   all 
  the 
  more 
  so 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  sheltered 
  position 
  of 
  these 
  valleys. 
  

   On 
  the 
  Piedra, 
  particularly, 
  the 
  country 
  seems 
  to 
  offer 
  every 
  i)ossible 
  

   inducement 
  to 
  settlers, 
  with 
  the 
  one 
  exception, 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  Indians. 
  

   They 
  still 
  hold 
  the 
  land, 
  and 
  full 
  well 
  knowing 
  its 
  value, 
  they 
  jealously 
  

   guard 
  against 
  the 
  advent 
  of 
  strangers, 
  convinced 
  that 
  the 
  ingress 
  of 
  

   but 
  a 
  few, 
  even, 
  would 
  soon 
  be 
  followed 
  by 
  an 
  irresistible 
  immigration. 
  

   To 
  use 
  the 
  picturesque 
  language 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  our 
  western 
  companions, 
  this 
  

   region 
  is 
  the 
  "Land 
  of 
  the 
  Gods." 
  Similar 
  to 
  this 
  in 
  character 
  are 
  the 
  

  

  