KHODA.] GllOGRAPHY SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. 469 



to make two stations. No. 19 was made on the eastern part of the north 

 edge, i^o. 20 on the west. This plateau may be said to cover about five 

 square miles; the elevation of most of this is over 12,000 feet. The 

 eastern part slopes off quite gradually, while on the northwest and south 

 the plateau terminates in nearly vertical bluff's which in many places 

 are several hundred feet in height. To the east of this the ground be- 

 comes more and more even, till at a dista.nce of about fifteen miles down 

 the river Bristol Head rises abruptly to an elevation of 12,800 feet. 

 From this position it appears in profile. From station 2, a series of 

 high plateaus extends southward all above timber-line, and ranging in 

 height from about 11,500 at the lowest point, a few miles north of Bris- 

 tol Head, to about 13,000 feet, near station 2. Southward from the low- 

 est point, the plateau slowly rises till, after culminating in the bald sum- 

 mit of Bristol Head, it falls suddenly 4,000 feet down to the Eio Grande, 

 and so terminates. From station 19, a grassy slope, which we afterward 

 found to be Antelope Park, seemed to extend to the bluffs of Bristol 

 Head, but after looking with the field-glasses we saw that a canon inter- 

 vened. But look at it as much as we would, there was a peculiar ap- 

 pearance about it we could not then explain. From station 20 we had 

 a splendid view of the Bio Grande Pyramid, which was eight miles dis- 

 tant, and across the river from us. This is probably the finest view that 

 can be had of this beautiful mountain. Its pyramidal form is almost 

 perfect, while at the same time there is just enough bluff" intermingled 

 with the debris slopes to give relief without the usual accompaniment of 

 coarseness. 



We left the plateau quite early, as we had a long distance to travel 

 before reaching camp. The pack-train, according to orders, had traveled 

 up the creek which comes into the Rio Grande from the south, a little 

 below the mouth of Pole Creek. We i)roceeded without delay to fol- 

 low them. At first the riding was quite easy. We passed several salt- 

 licks, which were tramped full of tracks of deer and mountain-sheep. 

 Soon the caiion narrowed in and traveling became verj^ difficult. We 

 found no trails, tracks, or signs of any kind to indicate that anybody 

 had ever gone up the creek before us. At several points the traveling was 

 very dangerous; at one place that I now recall to mind it was espec- 

 ially so. The creek at that time was a considerable stream, and, from 

 the great fall it had, was a perfect torrent. The bed was filled with 

 large stones, and among these the water boiled and foamed terribly. 

 At this point we had to slide our mules down a very steep, rocky slope 

 of about 100 feet in height ; at the bottom there was scarcely room 

 enough for a man to stand conveniently between the slide and the stream. 

 Just above this point was one of those deep pools where the big trout 

 love to dwell, while at its lower end the water rushed through between 

 several large rocks like a mill-race, ^ow the only way to cross was just 

 at the lower end of- the pool, where the water was shallow; below, the 

 current was dangerously swift ; above, the water was 6 or 7 feet deep. 

 Leaving the mules and instruments with me, Wilson scrambled across 

 to the other side, and I threw him his mule's rope, and while he hauled 

 I whipped the beast behind. After a few minutes of this treatment, 

 with the asinine obstinacy for which this particular mule was famous, 

 she leapt out into the pool and, swiuiming up to the head, tried to climb 

 up a smooth, wet rock, but did not succeed. After a thorough stoning 

 she finally returned to me, and we repeated the experiment, this time 

 with better success. Kext, my mule," " Bones," was taken in hand. 

 Having passed through the valley of humiliation the year before, and 

 l^robably having taken mental notes on the disgraceful failure of her 



