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Ex. Doc. No. 41. -481 



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of the cerlar and pifion, with wliich the banks of the siream 



embroidered. 



are 



i\ 



W 



"bowels of the earth are piled up, rock upon fock, until but a 

 narrow strip of sky can be seen over head. These rocks are tra^ 

 versed, in all directions, by narrow seams of milky quartz. Various 

 species of cacti and yucca spring forth from every crevice where 

 enough earth has collected to afford them nourishment, and the 

 cedar and pinon stretch out their boughs above these plants as if 



to prevent the sun from evaporating the little, moisture' they 

 contain. ^ 



_ , ^ proceeded five miles into the very 



heart of the canon; here the rocks were so steep that not one spot 

 could be found where we might pasture our mulesj we, therefore 

 cut down boughs of cedar, but the animals only nib"be<l them a 

 little, arid we were force<i totie them fast to the wagons lo prevent 

 their ^oing off in search of pasturage. 



October SI. — Last night we had a terrible storm; it consisted of 

 a succession 'of great gusts of wind, accompanied by rain-, hail and 

 snow; the wind loared through the cedars on the mountain side 

 With the sound ota errand watpr f^,ir Our tent trembh d beneath 



o 



ings. 



the terrific force of the blast that swept backwards and 'forwards 

 through the canon, and the deep gorge sent forth fierce bowlings 



Morning at length dawned, and we aroj-e shivering with cold 

 and gathered around the fi'-e. Our Mexican guide had beea 

 •obliged to w^lk about all night, in order to keep warm, for the 

 fire went out during the early part of the night. Our mules had 

 liad nothing to eat, we, therefore, hurried off quickly, hopino- be- 

 fore long to reach a patch of grass, where we could halt. ° We 

 soon met with some of Senor Chavez's wagons, which had beea 

 •sent out to procure pine logs fit to make rafters for some new- 

 build' 



Q. olivae formis;" also some fine specimens of the pitch-puje. 

 Amongst the shrubs, there is a species of holly; it bears scc^rlet 

 berries, on which the robblns, flickers, and stellar jays feed with 

 ^reat delight. We noticed numefous signs of the bear, and our 

 guide said that they were of the black bear. 



As the road was rough, we had to be careful lest the wagon 

 "Should upset. Before we had gone ten miles we reached a level 

 i>iece of groundj here we halted and built a large'fire, around 

 which we gathered, while the mules were busily engaged in ap- 

 peasing their hunger. 



After halting an hour we resumed our march, and found the 

 country more gentle in its aspect, and much easier to travel. We 

 now commenced descending slowly, for we had crossed the diviiling- 

 ridge; the ground was in many places covered wiib snow, except 

 where it was exposed to the rays of the sun. The air w^s biiing" 

 cold. At length we entered the road that runs from Albuquerque 

 to the famed *'salinas," or salt fakes. Thtue lakes afford »^Jt fat 

 the whole of this region- Our course was rerj direct^ and ait the 



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