New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-23

neck was about 1900 feet high; the peaks. 1000 or
l5O0feet higher Here was one OF the many diVides
70 be found in this range between the Atlantic ana
the Pacific slope; of the three little snowfed ponds
nm the summit the waters of one went to the Arkan-
sas those of the other two TO the Colorado NOW we
plunped into series of ravines overlooked by some
of the qrandest and most imposing granite noun
tain masses we have anywhere seen, which LED us
down at the end through most intricate system OF
moraines relics of the glacier that once poured out
of the ravnes to the broad. parklke valley OF lay
lors branch of the Gunnison. We crossed the val
ley and made our first Pacific camp in lovely little
grove at the edge of the rounded and wooded hills
that border it on the west
Looking back we saw in reverse the great range
whose eastern slope we had so long contemplated.
Compared with the latter, the western slope rs
sleeper and more unbroken the only gorge which,
within our range of view, seemed to penetrate II at
all deeply was that from which we had just emerged
Yet each little rayine had its moraine stretch
ing ont from its mouth, and all were bent around
into the direction of the valley, if they marked
the course of feeders to great central ice-strea.
which had scooped out the valley in Its southwark
motion Toward the north the ground rose Into
kind of table-land, or saddle probably l~,"V ie's
Nh (which forms the connection between the great
roroe and the proup on which we now are, and rom
which flow in opposite direction Taylors branch Oh
the Gunnison and the Roaring Fork OF the Urahu'
destined at length to mingle their waters III 'no
same bed hundreds of miles away.
A NAMELEss MOUNTAIN THIRTEEN THOUSAND fEhi
HIGH.
We had hardly left the valley when ledge oil
limestone. containing cOrals, that peeped out OF
hillside. showed that we had entered again the do
main of the sedimentary rocks; and ere long we
were amid enormous and surprising developments
of sandstones and lmestones with GRANTEES and IN
trusiye igneous masses forming intricate and IN
teresng geology that requires the most careful and
detailed study. The first high peak we assembled
nameless though 1880 feet high-had Its sharp
cragpy crest made up of limestone strata, tilted IN
every angle up to vertical with intercalated erup-
tive masses, and with immense beds winch gave
signs of being rich with silver The region we are
told was prospected for gold some ten years ago. but
has not been examined for silver; there are, doubt
less as rich deposits awaiting the miner here as are
now in successful working further east. Another
DAYS journey carried us through one OF the hnest
geological sections that can be conceived, including
some half mile in thickness of red sandstone, and
extending from the jurassic down to the carooner-
GUS. To-day we are encamped close to the base of
an isolated cone-like mountain, rising some 25Oo
feet above u.s. and of which the rounded grassy
slopes are capped with ZOO feet of darkred sandstone
rising stepike in layers of which the nearly hori-
zontal bedding is conspicuous many miles away. AS
seen from the north and west this cap of sandstone
is broken into strange towers and pinnacles, like an
immense castle crowning the hill. From the east it
resembles more an enormous Aztec teocd'H, OF pyr-
amid of sacrifice and we have named it accordingly.
In few days shall have seen more of this great
group of mountains, and learned to understand bet
ter its structure and relations We are not far from
the two splendid peaks which, as seen from the east
| ern mountains, seem higher than anything in this
whole country, and we shall soon know whether they
really surpass and greatly the SUBMITS of the Sierra
| Madre.