438 Ex. Doc. No. 41. - 



* 



cacti are so numerous that one is obliged to thread his path amongst 

 them with infinite care. 



September 15. — This morning we were surrounded by flocks of 

 golden-headed troopials, who mingled most socially with the com- 

 mon cow bird, and all in gneat glee were catching grass-hoj)persin 

 the vicinity of our " mulada." 



Soon after starting, I rode back a short "distance to examine a 

 Tolcanic dike that stretched nearly east and west across the valley 

 'on the north side of the stream j having collected as many speci- 

 mens as I wanted I crossed the Purgatory. 



We now saw on every side a beautiful plant covered with dark 

 scarlet flowers, a species of (nyctaginea oxybaphus.) This plant 

 is one of the most beautiful that we had seen. 



As we moved up the valley we found the hills composed of 

 rounded pebble stones, and huge piieces of dark purple rock, that 



from its vesicularity and general character we knew to be vol- 

 canic. • 



After a march of six miles, we encamped by the side of the Pur- 

 gatory again, and at the foot of a stupendous mass of rocks, whose flat 

 tops cut into giant steps are thus connected with the lower levels 



of the ridge. "W 



Id 



he have with the rocks piled about and strewed around us. I could 

 not but compare the legends these rocks unfold with the doubtful 

 records of history. See with what detail they present everything 

 to us, showing us specimens of birds, of plants, of animals and the 

 like, telling us when and where they existed. See how they go back 

 ages upon ages! behold with astonishment the mighty deeds in 

 ■which they have been concerned, the grand convulsions they have 

 undergone. 



September 16. — When we got ready for our march, we found 

 that the ox teams had started long before us, but we had not pro- 

 ceeded more than three miles through the forests of cedar and 

 pinon, or nut pine, when we encountered the wagons. One of 

 them had upset, and the traders' goods lay strewed along the bot- 

 tom and sides of a deep ravine. As I did not wish tn be detained, 

 as OUT little party could not be of any service, I requested Mr. St. 

 Vrain to have the second wagon turned a little to one side, so that I 



"jht pass. He drew his wagon out of the way, but as soon as 

 *^*^-?^^^ ^^"^ loosed, the wagon loaded with the immense bulk 



of fifty-seven hundred weight of goods, rushed backwards down the 



\ 



mi 



hill; luckily It turned off the road, when after crushing a few 

 trees m its course, it brought up against a sturdy pine. I was at 

 the time riding round the wagon and just escaped. The foolish 

 driver had chocked the wheels with a piece of decayed wood. 

 VI Vt!^,^^ beyond the scene of this accident we noticed a high 

 mutt bank, where there were evident signs of coal. I rode over 

 and collected some specimens of fine bituminous coal, and on 

 searching for fossils, found two varieties of dicotyledonus plants; 

 ol one sort, the large and cordate resembling the leaves of the 

 catalpa, of the other lanceolate, and not unlike the willow leaves^ 

 . Both sorts had the veins arranged in pairs, and edges entire. 



