484 NATURAL WELLS. Book III. 
goes down to the lowest depth. The watering-place is 
known by the name of " Natural Wells." The view, in 
looking back, extends over one of the most peculiar and 
grand landscapes I have ever seen ; to which the varied 
forms of the opposite mountains contribute, as well as the 
palm-like trees of a species of yucca, of peculiarly pleasing 
shape, standing in rows along the edge of the barren plain. 
Our road now led over a mountain, on the western side 
of which we found a spring, by the side of a torrent, 
which periodically gushes out of a rocky defile. Its 
bed was now dry. The plains extending before us were 
overgrown with grass, in which were single large agaves, 
with gigantic flower-stalks, — the latter just in that state of 
development when the stalk is filled with a sweet sap, 
affording a welcome refreshment. Along the dry bed of 
the brook grow plantains, which appeared to me to be a 
different species to the North American sycamore {Plata- 
nus occidentalis), as well as to the plantain of the Old 
World. This species, which has drooping branches, a 
deeply serrated leaf, and a bright green colour of the bark, 
is found in the mountainous defiles of North America, and 
usually on the edge of beds of intermitting torrents, filled 
with detached masses of rock, as far as California. By 
Mexicans it is called Aliso. 
In the evening a thunderstorm came on, which lasted 
the whole night. Our animals, which were at the same 
time watered and washed by it, appeared the next morning 
greatly refreshed. As we proceeded, columns of smoke 
arose in different places in the neighbouring mountains ; 
and during the next night we saw fires very near our camp. 
In consequence of this suspicious circumstance, one half of 
our men had to mount guard over our animals in the 
pasture. 
