depths the clouds floated, Long, sharp spurs plunged 
swiftly down, thrusting their monstrous buttresses into the 
plain below, and sending up pinnacles and towers along the 
knife edges. But the controlling object was a great butte 
which .sprang into view immediately before us, and which the 
salient of the wall had higher to masked. Upon a pedestal 
two miles long and a thousand feet high, richly decorated 
with horizontal moldings, rose four towers highly sugges- 
tive of cathedral architecture. Their alittude above the 
plain was estimated at about 1,800 feet. They were separated 
by vertical clefts made by the enlargement of the joints. 
and many smaller clefts extending from the summits to the 
pedestal carved the turrets into tapering buttresses, which 
gave a graceful aspiring effect with a remarkable definiteness 
to the forms. We named it Smithsonian Butte, and it was 
decided that a sketch should be made of it; but in a few 
moments the plan was abandoned or forgotten. For over a 
notch or saddle formed by a low isthi&us which connected the 
butte with the principal mesa there sailed slowly and majes- 
tically into view, as we rode along, a wonderful object. 
Deeply moved, we paused a moment to contemplate it, and then 
abandoning the trail we rode rapidly towards the notch, 
beyond which it soon sank out of sight. In an hour ff s time 
we reached the crest of the isthmus, and in an instant there 
flashed before us a scene never to be forgotten. In coming 
time it will, I believe, take rank with & very small number 
\ y " , Urtt it 
