Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-02-27
WONDERS OF THE INTERIOR.

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WONDERS OF THE INTERIOR.
The Philadelphia Press publishes
highly interesting narrative Of Lieut..
Beale's Wagon-Road Expedition from
Fort Defiance to the Colorado river, in
which the writer notices some of the
objects Of note on the route. Crossing
the Rio Frio, the expedition passed
through
A VALLEY OF LAVA.
The Piscado, q small stream Of cool
and delicious water, upon which at that
time the train was encamped, runs
through valley covered with a sheet
Of lava. 1t has evidently poured from
the crater of some extinct volcanic
mountain in the vicinity, and rolling
down the gorges, burst into the vale,
and there spread entirely over it, pre-
senting at this time the singular ap-
pearance Of black and motionless
torrent, bearing upon the crest Of its
still swelling waves green and luxuriant
trees.
The southern part of the Navajo
county is described as a region more
beautiful than any yet traversed. In
termlnable forests Of lofty pine trees
cover the mountain sides, and the long
sloping valleys seem ever green with
that grass most highly priced by the
pioneer, the gramma. Next came the
INSCRIPTION ROCK.
On the 23d Of August, the train
emerging from the dense forest that
clothes the back bone of the American
continent, passed down the slope on it's
western side, and encamped at the base
Of the celebrated Ell Moro or Inscrip-
tion Rock-so called on accosnt Of it's
sides being covered with name and
verses of various dates some of a cel.
tury ago, others more recently inscrib-
ed.
This remarkable natural monument
rises, without any previous indication
OF its existence 1000 feet above the
level plain extending along it's base
Its sides are perfectly perpendicular
and smooth, while the atmospheric ac-
ton upon the soft, white sandstone of
which they are composed has made
them look as if enamelled. It is form
ed like wedge, whose base is crowned
with an ancient aboriginal fortifcation,
evidently the work Of the same artisans
whose tumuli are visible from Peru to
Wisconsin
Sloping from the southwestis is a pla-
teau leading to the western entrance Of
the mountain, which forms a natural
coral Of great size, and evidently i'm
pregnable to the aboriginal warriors,
who doubtless lived through this coun-
try. Riding into it, they found grow
ing within it the largest pine trees,
whose herds are far below the crest Of
the rock which rises above them.
Lieut.. Beale, after leaving the Colo
RADIO Chiquito, passed over country
but partially explored, and discovered
what was believed to be the celebrated
canon Of Aubrey, described by him in
his notes. Here were found
PALISADES FACTIoNs--INscRIP-
TIONs.
The natural peculiarities Of this part
OF our route are worthy of remark the
palllsade formations crowning the sum-
mits Of the mountains are formed with
such regularity as to appear less like
work Of nature than of art; and the
road being over the perfectly level me-
sas, resembled those great thorough
fares Of ancient times familiar to the
historian. The route was covered by
the most luxuriant blue gramma grass
in greater abundance than many of
the mountain men Of the party had ever
seen it.
Here petrifaetions Of the most Won
derful description presented themselves,
whole trees, in many instances having
been seen turned to stone and on one
occasion, on the bank Of the Rio de la
Kara, . trunk Of large cedar was
found. petrifed and imbedded in the
solid rock rising at least twenty feet
above it.
The party moreover discovered on
the rocks, and in the caves near the
bank Of the Colorado Chiquito, ancient
yet unetfaced inscriptions, evincing the
change from the idiographic to the
phonetic style Of writing, among the
people who once undoubtedly inhabited
in vast numbers this at present desert
ed country, and whose remnants Of civ
ilization arc described in the works on
American archaeology.