176 East and West 
tains which rise abruptly from their surface.” 
In other words the desert of Arizona is 
broken up by numerous short ranges of moun- 
tains—their name is legion—and these for the 
most part rise from the desert plain like 
rocky islands. Doubtless they once were 
islands in the sea—that ancient sea of which 
the desert is the present reminder. 
It may convey some idea of their number 
that from the elevated point which is my out- 
door study, one may see, for instance, the 
Wickenburg, the Bradshaws beyond, and the 
New River Mountains a little farther away; 
while in the west are the Weaver, Date Creek, 
Vulture, Rawhide, the Harcuvar, and Harqua 
Hala; and to the south, south-west, and south- 
east, the Phoenix Mountains, the Gila Bend, 
Estrella, Sacaton, and the MacDowell peaks 
and other ranges, ghostly in the distance, 
which may possibly include the Superstition 
Mountains and the Mazatal. All this at one 
coup d’eil as it were; while beyond the Brad- 
shaws are the Verde and other ranges, and 
these are but a fraction of the whole. Verily 
there are a thousand and one of these island- 
like mountains scattered over the great desert 
plain of Arizona, and down through Mexico 
are ten thousand more. 
