﻿EHODA.] 
  THE 
  SOUTHEASTERN 
  DISTRICT. 
  313 
  

  

  but 
  is 
  accomplished 
  in 
  a 
  few. 
  Here 
  nature 
  does 
  not 
  work 
  through 
  the 
  

   slow 
  lapse 
  of 
  geological 
  time, 
  but 
  the 
  chiseling 
  of 
  a 
  hundred 
  years 
  is 
  

   appreciable. 
  This, 
  too, 
  is 
  slow, 
  but 
  not 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  degree 
  as 
  the 
  great 
  

   geological 
  changes. 
  

  

  Finally, 
  after 
  a 
  long 
  but 
  still 
  a 
  definite 
  period 
  of 
  time, 
  the 
  monument 
  is 
  

   finished. 
  A 
  great 
  column, 
  beautifully 
  tapering 
  to 
  its 
  summit, 
  is 
  formed, 
  

   and 
  is 
  surmounted 
  above 
  by 
  its 
  capping-stone, 
  giving 
  to 
  it 
  a 
  dignity 
  

   and 
  a 
  character. 
  But 
  scarcely 
  is 
  the 
  work 
  finished 
  before 
  the 
  very 
  

   elements 
  that 
  brought 
  the 
  statue 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  solid 
  wall 
  commence 
  its 
  

   destruction. 
  The 
  powers 
  of 
  erosion 
  that 
  carved 
  it 
  out 
  slowly 
  wear 
  away 
  

   the 
  column 
  itself, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  becomes 
  more 
  and 
  yet 
  more 
  slender, 
  yet 
  

   even 
  in 
  its 
  decay 
  its 
  grace 
  and 
  beauty 
  increase 
  also. 
  Finally 
  the 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  column 
  near 
  the 
  summit 
  becomes 
  too 
  attenuated 
  to 
  bear 
  up 
  its 
  

   colossal 
  burden, 
  and 
  the 
  great 
  stone 
  topples 
  aud 
  falls, 
  plunges 
  down 
  

   hundreds 
  of 
  feet, 
  and 
  then 
  rolling 
  down 
  the 
  mountain-side 
  soon 
  finds 
  

   its 
  resting-place 
  in 
  the 
  thick 
  timber 
  that 
  skirts 
  this 
  natural 
  museum 
  on 
  

   all 
  sides. 
  Thus 
  we 
  can 
  see 
  monuments 
  of 
  all 
  ages 
  from 
  inception 
  to 
  

   decay, 
  and 
  some 
  newly 
  decapitated 
  look 
  like 
  corpses 
  among 
  their 
  fel- 
  

   lows. 
  These 
  are 
  not 
  yet 
  exempt 
  from 
  the 
  terrible 
  power 
  of 
  their 
  uncom- 
  

   promising 
  foes, 
  but 
  must 
  year 
  by 
  year 
  be 
  worn 
  away, 
  till 
  another 
  stone 
  

   now 
  embedded 
  in 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  column 
  succeeds 
  to 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  the 
  

   first. 
  This 
  process 
  may 
  continue 
  through 
  many 
  generations 
  of 
  statues, 
  

   but 
  the 
  ultimate 
  end 
  is 
  plain. 
  This 
  group 
  of 
  monuments 
  is 
  far 
  superior 
  

   to 
  the 
  Garden 
  of 
  the 
  Gods, 
  near 
  Pike's 
  Peak, 
  in 
  the 
  number, 
  size, 
  aud 
  

   beauty 
  of 
  curious 
  forms 
  contained 
  in 
  it. 
  The 
  general 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  

   two 
  is 
  very 
  different 
  also. 
  Whether 
  this 
  strange 
  group 
  has 
  ever 
  been 
  

   visited 
  before 
  I 
  cannot 
  say, 
  but 
  anyway 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  worthy 
  of 
  a 
  much 
  

   more 
  extended 
  notice 
  than 
  the 
  above. 
  Its 
  situation, 
  only 
  about 
  seven 
  

   miles 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  road 
  from 
  Del 
  Norte 
  to 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  mines, 
  makes 
  

   it 
  very 
  accessible 
  for 
  such 
  as 
  take 
  an 
  interest 
  in 
  the 
  things 
  that 
  are 
  

   grand 
  and 
  picturesque 
  in 
  nature. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  morning 
  of 
  July 
  9 
  the 
  rain 
  still 
  continued 
  to 
  fall, 
  but 
  we 
  deter- 
  

   mined 
  to 
  attempt 
  the 
  ascent 
  of 
  South 
  River 
  Peak, 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  

   creek. 
  Climbing 
  up 
  the 
  ridge 
  above 
  the 
  group 
  of 
  monuments, 
  we 
  crossed 
  

   over 
  it, 
  and 
  followed 
  diagonally 
  across 
  the 
  east 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  peaks 
  

   which 
  form 
  the 
  highest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  ridge. 
  We 
  rode 
  along 
  near 
  the 
  tim- 
  

   ber 
  line, 
  and 
  crossed 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  draining 
  the 
  east 
  side 
  of 
  

   the 
  ridge. 
  This 
  caiion 
  was 
  quite 
  deep, 
  and 
  just 
  above 
  the 
  timber 
  line 
  

   contained 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  little 
  lakes 
  in 
  basins 
  hollowed 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  solid 
  

   rock. 
  Beaching 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  the 
  peak, 
  we 
  found 
  it 
  well 
  suited 
  for 
  a 
  

   station, 
  as 
  it 
  commanded 
  all 
  the 
  surrounding 
  drainage. 
  To 
  the 
  south 
  

   aud 
  west 
  there 
  were 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  peaks 
  nearly 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  this, 
  and 
  a 
  

   considerable 
  area 
  of 
  plateau-country 
  above 
  the 
  snow 
  line. 
  Just 
  to 
  the 
  

   west 
  of 
  us, 
  and 
  almost 
  under 
  the 
  peak, 
  was 
  a 
  deep 
  and 
  broad 
  basin 
  with 
  

   bluffs 
  nearly 
  surrounding 
  it. 
  This 
  forms 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  creek 
  on 
  which 
  

   we 
  were 
  camped. 
  A 
  considerable 
  canon 
  led 
  down 
  toward 
  the 
  northeast 
  

   also. 
  We 
  were 
  much 
  favored 
  by 
  a 
  partial 
  breaking 
  up 
  of 
  the 
  storm, 
  

   which 
  gave 
  us 
  clear 
  but 
  detached 
  views 
  of 
  the 
  near 
  country. 
  We 
  found 
  

   on 
  the 
  summit 
  a 
  monument 
  of 
  loose 
  stones 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  built 
  by 
  Mr. 
  

   Gardner 
  the 
  year 
  previous, 
  but 
  since 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  his 
  visit 
  the 
  lightning 
  had 
  

   struck 
  the 
  peak 
  and 
  thrown 
  down 
  the 
  upper 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  monument. 
  We 
  

   noticed 
  also 
  where 
  the 
  same 
  element 
  had 
  entered 
  the 
  solid 
  rock 
  of 
  the 
  

   mountain 
  and 
  ripped 
  it 
  up 
  in 
  several 
  directions, 
  showing 
  the 
  power 
  of 
  

   the 
  stroke. 
  These 
  slight 
  monuments 
  on 
  the 
  peaks 
  are 
  struck 
  hundreds 
  

   of 
  times 
  without 
  leaving 
  a 
  mark, 
  but 
  now 
  and 
  then 
  you 
  will 
  find 
  where 
  

   the 
  hardest 
  rock 
  is 
  cracked 
  and 
  torn 
  up 
  in 
  blocks 
  of 
  great 
  size. 
  These 
  

  

  