Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 
33 
follow promised to be much worse. We were warned that the so- 
called sand flats had many disagreeable features and that it would 
take about eight hours to reach the Wilson Mesa and the distance 
was only twenty miles. The road from the town runs along Pass 
creek and a short stop was made to gather some ripe apricots that 
helped to quench thirst later on. The sancl-flats and sand-hills 
were soon reached and made me think of a character in one of 
Captain Marryat’s stories, who said he had visited regions where 
Hundreds of Acres of Sandstone. 
beef-steaks could be fried on the rocks and this was the first time 
I had thought such a thing might be possible. As we went on our 
way there was a marked difference in the character of the country 
and the change from the desert valley to the sand-flats was full of 
interest; and then came the sandstone hills and in the distance was 
the snow glistening near the tops of the peaks. 
There are immense sandstone masses, often jagged and castle- 
like on top and in other places many acres of stone nearly level. 
These places have small plants where there is a little depression that 
will hold earth or moisture. The foot-hills contain many low 
