TORREON. 115 
_range which lies to the east of Magdalena and the upper 
portion of the San Ignacio River. 
Next morning we had scarcely started when we perceived 
a gap in this range a little to the southward, and as the sun 
rose we looked down upon a silver thread 
; _ emerging from it; and soon a lovely rich 
ereen valley, studded with palm trees, settlements, and 
orange groves, came into view at our feet. We had reached 
the valley of the San Miguel River, and a ride of three miles 
brought us by a rapid descent to the picturesque little village 
_ of Torreon. . 
| From the moment we crossed the divide out of the Gila 
| Basin, near the boundary-line, we had been descending at the 
. rate of at least 1,000 feet in every fifty miles ; and as at the 
same time we were travelling due south, the change in 
_ climate was very considerable. I was heavily clad at starting ; 
but the days were now too hot to wear a coat with any degree 
of pleasure, and we usually took ours off, preferring to ride in 
our shirt sleeves. And here, at last, we had reached the region 
' where the date palm, the banana, plantain, and other hardy 
@ palms are to be found. ‘The first view of palm trees growing 
Dec. 10. 
| this valley, dotted with groups of these trees, coming s0 
ae ther world. The 
i * It is probabl tion to say that 
: y no exaggeration y 
| Species of cactus are to be found about the boundary -line of Mexico. — 
ur’ 
added to the catalogue of this 
The seventy-two exquisite plates 
12 
