ehoda.I GEOGRAPHY SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. 4f)5 



and finer view of this same curious group from a peak several miles 

 southwest of us. Beyond this we saw nothing of interest that cannot 

 be better described in the sequel. 



The next day found us retracing our steps down Godwin Creek. 

 After camping a night at the junction, we moved up Lake Fork, making a 

 station by the way on a low point near the stream. A few miles above 

 the junction we came to a beautiful lake bearing on Mr. Prout's map the 

 name "San Oristoval." This is by far the finest of the many little lakes 

 we saw during the summer. It is in the bed of the canon, and has been 

 formed by a slide from the east side of the stream. Judging from the 

 growth of pines over this slide we concluded that it had taken place in 

 very recent times, but how recent we could not determine. The lake is 

 about one mile and a half in length, and in some places as much as a 

 quarter of a mile iu width. Several very small islets covered with 

 willows add much to the beauty of the scene. A thick growth of pine 

 timber surrounds it on all sides. To the east there is a tolerably easy 

 slope back to the foot of the bluffs of the high plateau. On the west 

 side the high mass of red mountains rises abruptly from the water's edge. 



It was near the lower end of this lake that the Randolph party of 

 artists discovered the bodies of five men the day after we passed them 

 at this point. They are supposed to have been murdered by white men 

 for their money. The canon of Lake Fork is nowhere so rough as that 

 of Godwin Creek, and the trail is quite good for the greater part of the 

 distance to the head of the stream. After camping a short distance 

 above the lake, and getting a good night's rest, we took an early start 

 on one of the most curiously interesting and strangely dangerous trips 

 of the season. We had to ride up the creek several miles before making 

 the ascent of the peak for which we were traveling. From this fact we 

 were thrown late and got caught on the summit in one of the afternoon 

 storms. Intermingled with other unusual drawbacks, we had a fair share 

 of the common but not less disagreeable climbing over loose rocks and 

 through fallen timber; neither were events of the chase wanting to add 

 to the great variety of incidents encountered during this eventful day. 

 The object in view was to make a station on the highest point of the red 

 mass above mentioned. In order to accomplish this, we had to follow up 

 a ridge, along which patches of loose rock alternating with timber made 

 the riding very difficult. It soon became impossible to follow the ridge 

 any farther, and we had to cross the gorge on our left, going dowu 300 

 or 400 feet, and up again more than a thousand feet to the summit of 

 the next ridge. Riding was out of the question, so we had to lead our 

 mules. After getting out of the canon the ground became smoother, 

 and near the timber-line we rode along without difficulty, the land being- 

 very open and covered with grass. It was here that a considerable herd 

 of mountain-sheep appeared in the distance. We saw them before they 

 saw us, and, leading our mules out of sight, slipped through the timber 

 with the utmost care; but before we could get in position the sentinel 

 of the herd, posted on a prominent point, gave the alarm, and they all 

 instantly took to flight. Wilson succeeded in shooting one on the run. 

 As we had had no fresh meat for two weeks, the result of the shot was 

 very gratifying to us all. 



For the rest of the ride the ground was covered with a short growth 

 of grass, but devoid of trees, as we had passed the timber-line. At an 

 elevation of 13,000 feet the soil ended abruptly, and from that point on, 

 all was loose rock. Here we hitched our mules to stones, and, taking 

 the note-books and instruments, continued the ascent on foot. This part 

 of our work was quite easy, although the height we had to climb was 



