und it. The sides of this mountain,
trending up from the level of the plain, rose not with a gentle
acclivity, but with precipitous abruptness. At no point, however, did
it assume the character of a cliff. It might have been scaled with
difficulty by a man on foot, especially should he avail himself of the
assistance of the trees--pines and trailing junipers--that grew over the
steep so thickly as to conceal the greater portion of its rocky
_facade_. Here and there only, a bare spot might be observed--a little
buttress of white laminated gypsum, mingled with sparkling selenite;
while at other places a miniature torrent, leaping over the rocks, and
dancing among the dark cedars, presented a very similar appearance.
These little torrents, plashing down to the plain, formed numerous
crystal rills that traversed the _vallon_. Like the branches of a
silver candelabrum, all united near its centre, and there formed a
pellucid stream, that, sweeping onward, discharged itself through the
ravine into Robideau's Pass. The effect of this abundance of water had
been to produce within the _vallon_ a proportionate luxuriance of
vegetation, though it had not assumed the form of a forest. A few
handsome cotton-woods, standing thinly over it, were the only trees; but
the surface exhibited a verdure of emerald brightness enamelled by many
a gay corolla--born to blush unseen within this sweet secluded glen.
Along the edge of the rivulet, large water-plants projected their broad
leaves languidly over the stream; and where the little cascades came
down from the rocks, the flowers of beautiful orchids, and other rare
epiphytes, were seen sparkling under the spray--many of them clinging to
the _coniferae_, and thus uniting almost the extreme types of the
botanical world!

Such lovely landscape was presented to our eyes in the "bolson" into
which our trapper-guide had conducted us. It appeared lovely as we
first beheld it--under the blue light of dawn; but lovelier far, when
the sun began to tinge the summits of the Mojada Mountains that
encircled it, and scatter his empurpled roses on the snowy peaks of the
Wa-to-yah--just visible through the gorge.

"_Esta un Paraiso_!" (It is a Paradise!) exclaimed the Mexican, warming
with the poetry of his race. "_En verdad un Paraiso_! Even better
peopled than the Paradise of old. _Mira! cavalleros_!" continued he.
"Behold! not one Eve, but two! each, I daresay, as beautiful as the
mother of