THE COPPER MINES. 
287 
it went. Before the other wagons were suffered to 
descend, we filled up the lower side of the road as 
well as we could with stones ; then placing a man at 
the head of each mule, with others to hold back the 
wagons, let them gradually down in safety. 
It was nearly dark, and we were in a narrow gorge 
of the mountains where there was barely room for the 
wagons to pass. The whole earth had lately been 
burned over to the very mountain tops, which were 
even now throwing up columns of flame and smoke ; 
not a blade of grass was to be seen, no water was 
near, and there was not a level space sufficient to pitch 
our tents. To remain here would have been injudi- 
cious, and the only alternative was to leave the broken 
wagon with its contents, which was chiefly corn, and 
push on to the place where we had encamped on our 
journey down. By this time Wells, with his usual 
ingenuity, had managed to splice the tongue of the 
carriage with his chains and halter ropes. Such arti- 
cles of value as we did not wish to leave exposed, were 
placed in the other wagons, and the corn was piled up 
by the road side. All being ready. Dr. Webb and 
myself set off on foot, unwilling to burden the carriage 
in its weak state, as the road continued bad ; besides, 
I felt safer in having my movements under my own 
control than in threading my way in a wheeled vehicle, 
through such a defile as we were now passing after 
dark. The horsemen followed us, and the carriage 
and wagons came after. In this manner we worked 
our way slowly along by the dim starlight that glim- 
mered through the forest ; for the canon was thickly 
overgrown with trees. It was nearly 10 o’clock before 
