72 NEW TRACKS IN NORTH AMERICA. 
A little further, the rocks on either side approach so closely 
as to obliterate for a second time the entire passage, and this 4 
time the bed of the stream alone remains between the walls 
for two miles and a half of its course. At this part the walls ‘ 
present another break in their perpendicular height, and 
appear to consist of three terraces or cliffs piled one abo s 
the other, each capped with basaltic columns; thus show- 
ing, as it appears to me, the real nature of the terre . 
form. Lach cliff or terrace is, in fact, a land-slip into a 
gorge, the lowest terrace representing the part earliest 
detached; for as each terrace is covered with lavaform mn 
basalt, it is evident that at some time each ledge so cove 
must have formed part of the surface of the ground over 
which the lava had flowed. a 
Between the two “narrows” the cafion did not ¥ 
much, so that the lengthening shadows overtook us ¥ 
early in the evening, and obliged the surveyors to cease fr 
their work; and when the sun had left the upper we 
and night had really come, the blackness of darkness aro 
us was absolutely awful, and the stars, which covered 
narrow streak of sky above, seemed to change the heavens 
a zigzag belt, every inch of which was radiant with diamo 
Our camps, too, were very picturesque. The mezquit tre 
with its tortuous stems, grows to an unusual size here, aD 
the wood makes magnificent fuel, we found the foot of one 
them to be the best place to pass the night. Dotted a 
amongst the trees the cheerful blaze of a dozen fires wo , 
light up the branches and foliage, making the darknes 
visible, and giving us a glimpse now and then of the mass 
walls which towered up above us. We discovered an amv 
: ment for our long evenings quite in harmony with the place. 
_ Amon, a the Deity of Mexicans there was a tame Navaj 
