﻿RHODA] 
  THE 
  SOUrHEASTERN 
  DISTRICT. 
  309 
  

  

  we 
  liad 
  great 
  difficulty 
  in 
  finding 
  a 
  break 
  in 
  the 
  bluffs 
  througb 
  which 
  we 
  

   might 
  descend 
  to 
  the 
  stream. 
  After 
  a 
  time 
  we 
  succeeded 
  in 
  finding 
  a 
  

   narrow 
  gap 
  filled 
  with 
  loose 
  rock, 
  in 
  which 
  was 
  growing 
  a 
  few 
  pines 
  and 
  

   shrubs. 
  The 
  slope 
  was 
  very 
  steep, 
  but 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  fine 
  loose 
  rock 
  con- 
  

   tinued 
  we 
  could 
  slide 
  our 
  mules 
  well 
  enough, 
  but 
  near 
  the 
  lower 
  end 
  the 
  

   rocks 
  were 
  very 
  large 
  and 
  sharp, 
  but 
  with 
  some 
  difficulty 
  we 
  reached 
  

   the 
  bottom 
  without 
  sustaining 
  any 
  injury 
  to 
  our 
  animals. 
  The 
  depth 
  of 
  

   the 
  caiion 
  here 
  is 
  about 
  700 
  feet. 
  The 
  streani-bed 
  was 
  filled 
  with 
  large 
  

   bowlders, 
  among 
  which 
  the 
  waters 
  rushed 
  with 
  impetuous 
  velocity. 
  The 
  

   space 
  between 
  the 
  stream 
  and 
  the 
  walls 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  was 
  very 
  narrow, 
  

   scarcely 
  affording 
  room 
  for 
  us 
  and 
  our 
  three 
  mules 
  to 
  stand 
  while 
  looking 
  

   for 
  a 
  place 
  to 
  cross. 
  The 
  creek 
  probably 
  did 
  not 
  exceed 
  thirty 
  feet 
  in 
  

   breadth 
  and 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  deep, 
  but 
  the 
  crossing 
  was 
  still 
  a 
  dangerous 
  

   undertaking, 
  on'account 
  of 
  the 
  swiftness 
  of 
  the 
  current 
  and 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  

   Tt 
  was 
  bordered 
  by 
  a 
  thick 
  growth 
  of 
  willows 
  and 
  other 
  trees, 
  making 
  

   both 
  the 
  ingress 
  and 
  egress 
  difficult. 
  Passing 
  over 
  in 
  safety, 
  we 
  came 
  

   to 
  a 
  little 
  level 
  space 
  beside 
  the 
  water, 
  then 
  another 
  steep 
  slide 
  leading 
  

   up 
  to 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  bluffs. 
  This 
  was 
  higher 
  than 
  the 
  preceding, 
  and 
  

   "quite 
  as 
  difficult. 
  Above 
  we 
  came 
  into 
  thick 
  timber, 
  whence 
  we 
  ascended 
  

   steep 
  slopes, 
  with 
  fallen 
  trees 
  across 
  our 
  path, 
  other 
  but 
  lower 
  bluffs, 
  

   then 
  went 
  down 
  into 
  a 
  depression, 
  in 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  which 
  was 
  a 
  lake, 
  

   surrounded 
  on 
  all 
  sides 
  by 
  dense 
  timber. 
  It 
  looked 
  as 
  if 
  tbis 
  little 
  body 
  

   of 
  water 
  had 
  been 
  studiously 
  hid 
  from 
  the 
  eye 
  of 
  man, 
  and 
  whether 
  a 
  

   wbit€ 
  man 
  will 
  ever 
  again 
  see 
  it 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  know. 
  But 
  I 
  do 
  know 
  that 
  it 
  

   cannot 
  be 
  seen 
  from 
  any 
  peak 
  or 
  pinnacle, 
  rock 
  or 
  crag, 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity. 
  

   Tt 
  Crtunot 
  be 
  seen 
  till 
  the 
  traveler 
  comes 
  within 
  a 
  few 
  hundred 
  yards 
  of 
  

   It. 
  It 
  is 
  guarded 
  by 
  such 
  barriers 
  of 
  horrible 
  bluffs 
  and 
  canons, 
  fallen 
  

   timber 
  and 
  swamps, 
  that 
  I 
  hope 
  never 
  again 
  to 
  break 
  into 
  this 
  most 
  

   secret 
  sanctuary 
  of 
  nature. 
  From 
  this 
  lake 
  we 
  followed 
  up 
  a 
  ridge 
  for 
  

   a 
  few 
  miles, 
  when 
  we 
  emerged 
  from 
  the 
  timber 
  upon 
  a 
  high 
  plateau 
  above 
  

   the 
  snow-line, 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  short 
  growth 
  of 
  grass 
  whenever 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  

   too 
  rocky, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  with 
  low 
  willows 
  two 
  to 
  four 
  feet 
  high. 
  

   Several 
  high 
  peaks 
  appeared 
  to 
  the 
  south, 
  but 
  the 
  highest 
  peak 
  near 
  

   was 
  situated 
  about 
  seven 
  mdes 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  us. 
  On 
  this 
  plateau, 
  of 
  

   station 
  23, 
  we 
  saw 
  a 
  small 
  band 
  of 
  elk 
  ; 
  and 
  from 
  what 
  we 
  have 
  seen 
  

   at 
  one 
  time 
  and 
  another, 
  1 
  should 
  judge 
  that 
  almost 
  all 
  the 
  elk 
  in 
  the 
  

   region 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande 
  have 
  resorted 
  to 
  these 
  plateaus 
  for 
  safety, 
  

   and 
  from 
  the 
  ruggedness 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  

   seldom 
  disturbed 
  in 
  their 
  retirement. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  doubt, 
  however, 
  of 
  

   the 
  fact 
  that 
  all 
  kinds 
  of 
  game, 
  and 
  especially 
  elk, 
  have 
  always 
  been 
  

   very 
  scarce 
  in 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country. 
  Returning 
  to 
  the 
  South 
  Fork 
  

   by 
  Ihe 
  way 
  we 
  came 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  morning, 
  we 
  again 
  crossed 
  the 
  caiion 
  and 
  

   came 
  upon 
  the 
  tracks 
  of 
  the 
  pack-mules, 
  which 
  soon 
  lead 
  us 
  to 
  camp, 
  

   which 
  we 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  bluffs 
  near 
  a 
  stream 
  which 
  enters 
  from 
  

   the 
  east, 
  l^ear 
  camp 
  a 
  sandstone 
  point 
  extended 
  out 
  over 
  the 
  main 
  

   canon. 
  From 
  here 
  the 
  stream 
  could 
  be 
  seen 
  far 
  below, 
  with 
  the 
  walls 
  

   of 
  rock 
  rising 
  700 
  to 
  800 
  feet 
  on 
  either 
  side. 
  All 
  this 
  has 
  been 
  cut 
  out 
  

   by 
  the 
  creek, 
  thus 
  giving 
  one 
  some 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  power 
  of 
  erosion 
  of 
  even 
  

   a 
  small 
  stream 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  permitted 
  to 
  work 
  ceaselessly 
  through 
  the 
  

   ages. 
  Standing 
  upon 
  this 
  rocky 
  promontory, 
  the 
  noise 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  

   came 
  up 
  to 
  us 
  as 
  it 
  boiled 
  and 
  surged 
  through 
  its 
  rocky 
  bed. 
  

  

  From 
  this 
  camp 
  we 
  continued 
  on 
  our 
  course 
  toward 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande. 
  

   At 
  first 
  we 
  found 
  the 
  trail 
  quite 
  difficult, 
  but 
  before 
  long 
  the 
  bluffs 
  

   began 
  to 
  decrease 
  in 
  height 
  and 
  a 
  narrow 
  valley 
  to 
  appear 
  between 
  the 
  

   walls. 
  Along 
  the 
  latter 
  we 
  rode 
  without 
  trouble, 
  and 
  soon 
  found 
  our- 
  

   selves 
  in 
  an 
  old 
  wagon-road. 
  Soon 
  the 
  bluffs 
  disappeared 
  and 
  were 
  

  

  