TRINCnEEA PASS. 



99 



fliglit, had been obtained by plunder from the unfortunate 

 farmers. Ilad we not most opportunely stopped these 

 marauders just at the outskii-ts of the settlements, a great 



V 



part of tlic upper A^iUeys of the Purgatoiro might in a few 

 days have been swept hare of everything — flocks, herds, farm 

 produce, and inhabitants. 



The foot of Trinchera Pass made a beautiful camping-place. 

 A clear, sparkling ri^^let flowed down from the pass, which 

 was bounded on both sides by lofty basaltic cliff's. Close to 

 our tents, a beautiful specimen of trap dyke crested a range 

 of foot hills, haying a direction south, 60"^ west. It looked 

 exactly like an old wall, broken down in places by time. The 

 large bricks were piled one upon the other with Avonderful 

 regularity ; and where the stream passed out upon the plain, 

 a fine gap was left, forming the gate of the pass. 



Our party remained here from the 4th until the 12th 

 f August, so that there was abundance of time to examine 



J 



o 



3 



the fresh country we had just entered. 



The soft murmur of the brook was sweet music to our 

 ears, and all the yai 

 lovely than ever, f 

 monotonous nlains o^ 



mountain 



moi 



om 



the contrast it presented to the 

 hich. for the last two months, we 



had been travelling. 



There is notliing bare or riiirired about 



the Eaton Mountains ; every part is covered with vegetation, 

 except the perpendicular ledges of basaltic rock which fringe 

 their flat summits. The richest pasture fills the valleys, and 

 ^-radually gives place to piiion woods and thickets of locust 





and scrub -oak. Higher up in the ravines, tolerably large 

 oaks are found ; and, higher still, large clusters of noble pines 



ound the sum 



In my many rambl 

 which, in beauty a 



:hness of colom-, could not be surpassed. Little mountain 



n2 



:«*( 



