28o 



RECREATION. 



tion this incident to show how extremely 

 easy it is to lose one's way in these moun- 

 tains ; and each of us, in turn, though adopt- 

 ing every possible precaution, went through 

 the unpleasant experience more than once. 

 A trail or a canyon with which one is per- 

 fectly familiar from one point of view may 

 look entirely different from another, caus- 

 ing one to think himself mistaken and turn 

 back. The hotels at Chihuahua and Miriaca 

 still hold in safe keeping the effects of white 

 men who have started gaily into tnese moun- 

 tains. Those grips and valises will never be 

 claimed. We did not secure a turkey, and 

 although in certain districts there are known 

 to be large bunches of them, they are rarely 

 seen, or, if seen, successfully hunted. 



I had one good opportunity to shoot a 

 turkey. I was resting on the ground while 

 other members of the party were looking- 

 for a wounded deer, when suddenly one of 

 these huge birds sailed past me and alighted 

 a short distance away, evidently scared by 

 one of the other hunters into flight, a- means 

 of progression which turkeys are at all times 

 loth to adopt. Astonished at the opportuni- 

 ty, I jumped to my feet and scrambled in 

 the direction of the gobbler. After a fall 

 of about 30 feet, I came in full view of him, 

 close to me. .Taking careful aim, I pulled 

 the trigger, but in mv hurry I had forgotten 

 to load my rifle. As I lowered it to throw 

 in a shell my turkey, which had become 

 thoroughly alarmed, spread his huge wings 

 and once more got under way. I sent a 

 bullet after him which knocked out a bunch 

 of feathers, but seemed to do him no further 

 harm. 



Two days of easy riding took us to a 

 spot known as Bucna Vista, and it is indeed 

 well named. The view baffles description. 

 The pine-laden cliff rises above a gigantic 

 canon, said to be a mile in depth. The 

 mountains on each side form a steep wall 

 of rock for some depth, then break into 

 wooded ridges, sloping down to a silver 

 river. Many of these ridges dovetail into 

 those projecting from the opposite side and 

 Constitute a seemingly inextricable maze, in 

 which one who did not know the country 

 would be quickly lost. 



As the eyes become accustomed to this 

 amazing picture, small dots of light color 

 appear in the landscape, and an inspection 

 through field glasses shows them to be cul- 

 tivated clearings made by the Indians. 

 Gradually one is able to discern little In- 

 dian huts, dotted about wherever these 

 clearings are seen. The caves and holes in 

 the rocks are also used as dwellings. Final- 

 ly the trails on the mountain sides and the 

 cattle and goats grazing can be distin- 

 guished. The effect is stupendous. It is as 

 if the lid had been lifted from a gigantic 

 box and a new country displayed in minia- 

 ture. 



It is evident that many Indians live in this 



unapproachable region. Probably the ma- 

 jority of them have never been out of the 

 canon. The climate below is different 

 from that on the cliff. I understand that 

 the Indians cultivate oranges and that semi- 

 tropical vegetation abounds down there. I 

 do not believe that view can be surpassed 

 in the world. I am told that the new rail- 

 road is to have a station at that spot. If so, 

 many people will undertake the journey to 

 get that view alone, and the company will 

 be well advised to make special provision 

 there for the tourist. 



We were then past the highest point in 

 that mighty divide, and although the stiffest 

 part of the journey was still ahead, we were 

 well started on the Pacific slope. Two 

 days' riding took us to the village of Cuita- 

 co, 5,750 feet up, after a steep and difficult 

 drop of 2,coo feet. The spot is worthy of 

 mention, because it serves as an illustration 

 of what the country can produce when 

 farmed by an industrious and intelligent 

 man. In these mountain villages one man 

 usually claims. the whole place as his. In 

 all probability the title would not bear close 

 scrutiny, but. apparently no one questions it. 

 He is the only employer of labor, and the 

 people depend on him for their subsistence., 

 If he is a wise man Tie becomes their judge, 

 as well as their counsellor ; he probably 

 runs the- only store, and what he says goes. 

 At Cuitaco are evidences of an enlightened 

 owner, the place being beautifully irrigated. 

 Ample crops and fruitful orchards result. 

 There is also a tannery, which turns out 

 excellent leather. 



To these little kings, of whom there are 

 a number, varying in importance, is due 

 the principal credit for the extraordinary 

 immunity from molestation of any kind 

 which the travelers in this wild country en- 

 joy. In no other country in the world can 

 one travel under similar conditions in such 

 perfect safety. 



The descent is marked by a warmer cli- 

 mate and a change in both the vegetation 

 and the plumage of the birds. Maidenhair 

 fern grows luxuriantly in the canons near 

 the water. The pine tree is replaced by a 

 strange variety of oak and numerous unfa- 

 miliar trees. 



We camped several nights at an altitude 

 of 4,000 to 6,000 feet. A long descent one 

 day was followed by an equally steep ascent 

 on the following day, but the country never 

 ceases to interest and is always beautiful. 



The mules began to show signs of the 

 long journey. They developed ugly raw 

 places on their backs and shoulders, and be- 

 came emaciated. We were therefore glad. to 

 learn that 2 more days on the trail would 

 take us to the camp of a railway engineer, 

 where we could obtain ample corn for our 

 mules and would have excellent opportuni- 

 ties of hunting deer. The hunting which we 

 had been able to <Jo from our camps had 



