19 



-£7] 



An express returned from the spy-guard, which reported all clear 

 in front.- Captain Cook and Mr. Liffendorfer have only reached 

 the Canadian river. It was reported to me that, at Captain Sum- 

 ner's camp, about 7 miles above where we encamped last night, 

 and 12 miles from the summit, an immense field of coal crops out;' 

 the seam bting 30 feet deep. To-night our animals were refreshed 

 with good grass and w^ater. , 



Nine observations on polaris give, for the latitude of the place, 

 37^ 00' 21". 



Seven on arcturus, in the west, and 7 on alpha aquilse, in the 

 ■east, give the chronometric longitude 6h. 51m. 01.35^. 



Height above the sea, 7,169 feet. 



•August 7, camj) 36. — We recommenced the ascent of the Raton, 

 which we reached with ease, with our wagons, in about two miles. 

 The height of this point above the sea, as indicated by the barom- 

 eter, is 7,500 feet. From the summit we had a beautiful view of 

 -Pike's peak, the Wattahyah, and the chain of mountains running 

 south from the Wattahyah. Several large white masses were dis- 

 cernible near the summits of the tange, which we at first took for 

 «now, but which, on examination with the telescope, were found to 

 consist of white limestone, or granular quartz, of which we after- 

 wards saw so much in this country. As we drew near, the view 

 was no less imposing. To the east rose the Raton, which appeared 

 still as high as from the camp, 1,500 feet below. On the top of the 

 Raton the geological formation is very singular, presenting the ap-' 

 pearance of a succession of castles. As a day would be required 

 to visit it, I was obliged to forego that pleasure, and examine it 

 merely with the glass: The mountain appears to be formed chiefly 

 of sandstone, disposed in strata of various shades of color, dipping . 

 gently to the east, until ydu reach near the summit, where the cas- 

 tellated appearance commences, the sides become perpendicular, 

 and the seanJ# vertical. The valley is strewed with pebbles and 

 fragments of trap rock, and the fasible rock described yesterday, 

 cellular lava, and some pumice. 



For two days our way was strewed with flowersj exhilarated by 

 the ascent, the green foliage of the trees in striking contrast with 

 the, deserts we had left behind, they were the most agreeable days 

 of the journey. Among the flowers and shrubbery was the campa- 

 nula rotundifolia, (hare bell,) sida coccinea, galium triflorum, the 

 snowberry, eriogonum, geranium Fremontii, clematis virpuenna, 

 ranunculus aquatilis, euphorbia marginata, linum perenne, malva 

 pedata, lippia cutieifolia, and many pretty varieties of convolvulus. 

 There is said to be a lake, about ten miles to the east of the 

 summit, where immense hordes of deer, antelope, and buffalo con- 

 gregate, but may be doubted. 



The descent, is much more rapid than the ascent, and, for the 

 first few miles, through a valley of good burned grass and stag- 

 nant water, containing many beautiful flowers. But frequently 

 you come to a place where the stream (a branch of the Canadian) 

 has worked itself through the mountaijis, and the road has to as- 



v:;^ad and then descend a sharp spur. Here the difficulties com- 



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