Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-11-27


E,np,o" and Craters-R Rei,cs efa Former Iso-
p'e-Ia Hcpdtea Restirnce-- accommodations
mt D,sinhie-- Campo Hix--A Curious
Spriay--.i battle mith the Luiiaus-- TIE Effect
oftie Nanie Rifle Mrican skM in Captnr-
1ny R"es-ihe Killed and FOUNDED.
FoRr DEr,AScr. N. NJ, Sept "a, 1853
Ep,roR OF rnE SrArEs: left thu city ot tho
I'll y Faith" or Sauta fe, in n heavy storm on
the c3h August, and reached this isolated retreat
the Goth, distance ofnear 800 miles travelled
on horseback.
AN EpiroS on AN ExrLoRiS1 EKPEDITioN!
Yan cnn lctter Imagine thnn can describe tho
condition If II gentleman Of the quill. whose
manhmd hns hccn m ,stly spent in tho farm
chair" ter forced march Of this kind through
u trecless, almost wateress country. when thcsnn
bus n peculiar way ii exhibiting tho intensity OF
hca', aud the burning sands acorrcsponding taeil-
ity If making things wa'm But thrrc ia nothing
like variety IN all kinds of life. especially on tho
frontier. where must ncru~tom himself to c,e-
~ shade Of veissitnde nnd exposue--itom tho
lusu Of Wrapping him ell in II blanket and tum-
bling -, ,er nnher earth f,r nights repo-e 10
II tilt with the "lniuns, nsnfelief Tor h,s bl cak
inst-i in order To become thoroughly WesterniEed.
| have sen many things that p eier to r,dingon
horseback fueh distance, Mt snah speed. and in
such weather; hut fraringany mnrmurs from me
Nigh, hn rnnstuedlv my e"mpani"ls into n want
If game determined To grit my teeth nnd meet
the incidents phllusopheally ii not hrav.ly.
There nrc many scen.rirs in this country which
present the i,lca moro forcibly aud frequently Of
the terrific rnther thnn of the beantiul Woaro
nnl advised by history or tradition TINT any peo
p,e more advanced in civilization than tho present
inhabitants ever lived here; nor are we informed
whit freaks nature has now and then chosen to
perform here to illustrate her inherent power and
convulsivc elements
VOLCANIC ERrPrIoSs AND cRaTERs.
L., all r In tnll ,ph
from n beautiful crystalline spring gushing up from
An inmcnse Led of roek-there is u largo deposit
Of ln,n exhibiting evidence Of having flowed down
Tie valley in stream OF fearful force and volume
f., IN a distant mountain, whence II was erupted.
lnderd erator. exist nll through tho country indi-
ntinr that mt one time this reg ion must have been
smken md torn Ia pieces by volcanoes and earth
o,akes. From tie data furnished by scientific cx-
animation. tho mos, recent volcanic discharge
must have been Ms late as th'ce centuries back
This stream ,,f bo ling Lawn must have been fifty
irnt deem md aslmuny wide. 1t seems tn have
rushed un until il gradually cnnlc1 and hnrdenel
mud thus wu. formed nm nhupt tormnuton to its
nroprcs, The E,rma of tho wnYcs enn bn seen
,'n,nly. Tlr, dark, iron-lkc substance would np-
,enr ,o tho naked rye to have been o,uprl the
,,st ,co,u,,, L,n nsi.lore stated il onnll n tnye
been dsrbtr,-nl short of three hunllr Years ngo.
II isa singular .iuh,, INDEED aud is field for ill.,
finite wonder and spcenlntion
nri,cs or , ropNlR PEOPLE
TL,ouebnu, this country relics Of n former peo-
rlc nnd rims ,r towns nr, 10 bo found in great
nunu,itics Tn, deem cbnsn in tho earth--the
singular md terrific attitude Of rocks and cnnons.
,, clearly Indicate the wtu uphenying and tear
inv n.un,jer which. at one lime must have visited
here md poiu, to IA race of people burcl beneath
this chnnt,r mas. Of disorgnnizel nature. The
few streams which nov und ,hcn gladden. the
eht # the thirst, and wenred traveller through
liu.e barren hills and parchrl valleys, nrc vet
strongly imprc.na,cd with sulphur. And while
snrng- bubble M crystalline and bsnuiiiul, they
no, ullicauently serve to create rather tnn to al
Law thirst.
AN rtry,rrp Rr.,prNcE.
Ncar III. Lnrunn Sprny some 40 miles west Of
u,. Ri, ,rn,,le ,br wnter of which il clenr and
iu,i,ipr tn the eve. Lut bracki.h and sulphurous
L. ,he ,astr, rise. M mn immense rock, or bed Of
rock, To III. height Of 500 or 100 feet--the top Of
which il nnly reached by path for n single per-
.oa.nm lis almost nerpendicnlnr. On this barren
mesa. 50 d fbcut and tedious of access. Mt one time
WA. nm ladia town Of considerable size doubtless
Gull, he,e ns place of defence nn, security when
different hostile tribes roamed the country. There
o,e vet tw, houses occupied by Pueblo Indians on
the s,nt. NIL around which nre strcwn tho ruins of
former hui Il ngs. NV com ,anion (Cnpt. George
MrLaie, l.. $. Al nnd myself after drinking
freely from the unsatisiyng yet beautiful spring,
Mt II. base. determined 10 ascend to the summit,
md soc what wus there to be seen Afier weary
inr and climbing for half M hour, over rocks and
clff,-a slip from which would have sent n. down
the f n Cul ,lcsccn, without tho hope ot lie,
reached the top safely. l loierrd in the rear.
gazing n, the singular phenomena presented, awe
struck at tho terrible majesty of the Omnipotent,
whose anger aud power had here, ut one time, been
=, Iesrrnly DISPLAYED 1t was a sccne indeed, TO
make one reyrently and treniblingiy turn his
,ni a,,I