The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-02-03

perfectly preserved. and apparently
will remain so until this region is either
visited by rain or reclaimed by man.
This region as it is, is rather uninvit-
ing, but as the road leads towards the
foothills, one becomes less skeptical
regarding the beauties of the country.
Tropical vegetation gradually appears
on every hand, and almost before you
are aware of it, the road is crossing
spaFk,i g 8 reams, running through
groves of beautiful trees, among which
may be continually heard the screech-
ings of parrots and other birds, and
give vent to his feelings in ordinations
of rapture.
CAMP IS MADE HERE,
everyone feeling exuberant over to-
morrow's prospects. An early start Is
made next morning to enable US to en-
| Joy the beauties OF nature, but the
| road soon has tendency to lead to-
| wards higher regions. It becomes
little rough. then steep. then winding,
then rough. steep and winding; it also
| becomes a little tiresome, but no one
acknowledges it, and at noon, on ar
| irving at what was supposed to be the
crest of high hill, we look down and
| hardly believe our eyes; right below,
| down the almost preoipitous sides of
the mountain is our camp of the night
previous. These mountains have a
wonderful way of rearing right up in
front of you, and when you arrive at
the top, they rear right up again. The
road led up hill and down all day, until
night when all exuberant feelings
seemed to have vanished, probably on
account of the air, as our ameroid
barometer registered Is 600 feet.
The following morning an early start
was again made in order to arrive at
San Miguel, quite an important town
six leagues distant. The air was brac-
ing, the road pretty even for while,
and everything seemed favorable for an
early stop, but the roads commenced
to get rough, down one side of a can.
yon and up the other. until arriving at
the summit of high ridge, it over
looked one of the most rugged, ragged
mountainous views l have ever be-
held.
CULTS YAWNED BELOW
thousands of feet, ragged, rocky cliffs
reared themselves up, the eye following
them until it was as much a surprise as
a relief to see the over-toweripg tops
The most broken up districts of the
Rocky Mountains had been travelled
over by every ons of the party, but all
agreed that it codld only be compared
az the beauty of the Rocky Mountains
to the awe-inspiring grandeur of the
Andes, and our road ran directly
through it. It was simply terrific, the
dangerous sliding, tumbling and turn
ing descensions, then the slow. painful,
torturous winding ascensions, only ar
irving at the top to be confronted by
still deeper canyon. whose stream could
be seen thousands of feet below, and
which it would take hours to cross
when the other side seemed hardly a
stones throw distant. How we yearned
for one Of those plateaus, or table
lands.
The journey seemed little length
ened, but We were cheered up by
shower of rain, which was indeed re
freshing. We were tired and so were
our mules, but the rain revived us.
The guides smiled with knowing smiles,
and even the mules pricked up their
ears expecting something. The land
scape took on a new appearance, the
vegetation looked green and fresh, and
the whole country looked like an old
and faded picture touched up anew.
Everything seemed to glory in the rain,
and it descended in that fine insinuat-
ing way which is so pleasing; little rills
began to babble, the roads became
damp, and We became damp-delight- |
fully so. The fine rain insinuated it |
self through our thickest rubber |
penehos; the mules commenced to slip |
down dangerous places, and when huge |
boulders began descending those bab-
bling riIIs, we were rudely awakened to |
the fact that We were out in the rain, |
And how it rained! 1t didn't pour. |
Just simply rained, each separate drop |
its own individuality and de-
pending wholly upon its own efforts for |
success. And how damp they are! 1t
was
ONE GRAND, HowLING SUCCESS.
San Miguel was finally reached after
that incidental day'ssride, ready for
wringing out and q good nights rest,
thankful for anything and everything,
and rel ming down blessings on the
heads of our faithful little mules and |
swearing vengeance against anyone who
would even make the slightest insinua.
ton against them; and, when one
kicked our bag OF provisions clear
across the plaza, the blessing kept |
right on just the same.
San Miguel is a very pretty place of |
about 10000 inhabitants, and situated |
in beautiful little valley; it Is well
laid out, and with well-maCe roads
leading off in every direction. 1t Is
one of the very old cities, and remains
partially preserved, the buildings, roads,
ETC., aving all been made by people |
farther advanced than now, and these
pee pie are enjoying conveniences which |
they could never have acquired them
selves. Everywhere in the vicinity. |
even on the hillsi les, no matter how
steep, are located little homes AMI |
farms, separated by interesting roads
bordered on either side by well-kept |
hedges of aloes, giving the whole sur
rounding country most beautiful |
From San Miguel, our route leads
DIRECTLY TOWARDS TIE SUMMIT
of the main Cordilleres which Is
reached In day and half. Although |
going towards higher attitudes the
country grows less rugged, almost re-
sembljng the rolling, undulRting |