Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1842-09-16

The morning of the third of September
broke bright and coudless, the sun rising
from out the prairie in all her majesty. Sin
gular as it may appear, nearly every shower
we had came in the night from the time we
left Austin until we reached the Mexican
settlements Again we spent couple of
hours drying our blankets, then saddled up
and pursued our journey, still in a northwest
direction.
We had scarcely gone six miles before
we suddenly came upon an immense rent or
chasm in the earth, far exceeding in depth
the one we had so much difficulty in cross
ing the day before None was aware of its
existence until we were Immediately upon
its brink, when spectacle, exceeding in
grandeur any thing we had previously wit
messed, came suddenly in view. Not a tree
or bush, no outline whatever marked its posi-
ton or course, and we were all lost in
amazement and wonder as one by one we
left the double file ranks and rode up to the
verge of the yawnng abyss.
In depth it could not have been less than
eight hundred or thousand feet, from three
to five hundred yards in width, and at the
point where we first struck it, the sides were
UtdIlN ~ sunny SNiiSdNioi VI
dizziness was felt by all as we looked down,
as il were into the very depths of the earth.
Below, an occasional spot of green relieved
the eve, and a small stream Of water, now
rising to the view, then sinking beneath
some huge rock, was bubbling aud foaming
along. Immense walls, columns, in some
places what appeared TO be arches, were
seen standing worn by the water undoubt-
edly, and so perfect in form that we could
with difficulty be brought to believe that the
hand of man was not upon them. The rams
Of centuries, falling upon an immense prai-
RE, had here found reservoir, and their
workings up the different veins of earth and
stone, had formed these strange and fancilul
shapes.
Before reaching the chasm we had cross
ed numerous large trails leading little more
to the west than we were travelling, and we
were at once convinced that they all center
ed in one common crossing close by. In
this conjecture we were not disappointed, for
trot of half an hour brought us into large
road, the thoroughfare along which millions
of Indians, and buffalo, and mustangs had
travelled for years. Perilous as the descent
looked, we well knew there was no other
near The lead mule was again started
ahead, the older and steadier horses were
next driven over the sides, while the more
skittish and intractable brought up the rear
Once in the narrow path which led circui-
tously down the deep descent there was no
turning back, aud our maddened animals
finally reached the bottom in safety. Sever
al large stones were loosened from their fas-
h., bn cr,wb,CI 40
scent. They would leap, dash and thunder
down the precipitous sides and strike against
the bottom far below us with a terrific crash.
We found a running stream at the bottom,
and on the opposite side romantic dell COW
cred with short grass and few scattering
cotton woods. large body of Indians had
encampcd on this very spot but few days
previous, the wiled limbs of the trees and
other "signs" showing that they had made il
a resting place. We, too, halted couple
of hours, to give our horses an opportunity
to Craze and rest themselves. The trail
which led up on the opposite side was dis
covered short distance above us, to the
SOUTH winding up the steep and ragged sides
of the precipice.
As we journeyed along this dell all were
struck with admiration at the strange and
fancful figures made by the washing of the
waters during the rainy season. In some
places perfect walls, formed of reddish
clay, were seen standing, and were they any
where else it would be impossible to have
believed that other than the hand of man
: had formed them. The vein of which these
walls were composed was of even thickness
very hard, and run perpendicuarly; and
when the softer sand which had surrounded
them was washed away, the veins still re.
manned standing upright, in some places one
hundred feet high, aud three or four humid
red feet in length.
Columns, too, were there, and such was
their architectural order, and SO much o.
chaste grandeur was there about them, that
we were lost in wonder and admiration In
f other places the breast-works of forts would
be plainly visible, then again the frownine
turrets of some castle of the oden times
E Cumbrous pillars of some mighty pile raised
to religion or royalty were scattered about
regularity was strangely mixed up with ruiz
, and disorder, and Nature had done it ALL
Niagara has been considered one of hcl
> widest freaks; but Niagara sinks into nsg
niicance when compared with the wild
grandeur of this awful chasm Imagination
carried us back to Thebes, to Palmyra, anC
to ancient Athens, and we could not hell
/ thinking we were now among their ruins.
, Our passage of this place was effected
with the greatest difficulty. We were
, obliged to carry our rifles, holsters and sad
, dle-bags in our hands, aud in clambering ~
ii steep pitch one of the horses, striking hi
shoulder against a projecting rock, was pre-
q cipitated some fifteen or twenty feet Direct,
upon his back. All thought he must b,