History of the city of Denver, Arapahoe County, and Colorado, Part 13

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co. cn; Vickers, W. B. (William B.), 1838-
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 844


USA > Colorado > Arapahoe County > History of the city of Denver, Arapahoe County, and Colorado > Part 13
USA > Colorado > Denver County > Denver > History of the city of Denver, Arapahoe County, and Colorado > Part 13


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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The mineral resources of the soil are so closely connected with its geological features that a list of these is a proper addition to our chapter on geol- ogy. This list is compiled from the most authentic sources. The catalogue is not a complete one, some of the minor minerals being left out for want of room, but is well adapted to the needs of the general reader.


METALS AND MINERALS.


Agate .- A mineral familiar to the Greeks and Romans, who found it near Achates, a river in Sicily, now known as the Dorillo. Fine speci- mens lined with amethyst have been found on the summit of the range, east of the Animas. In the lower trachytic formations of the Uncom- pahgre group, a cloudy variety is found, of white and gray color; at the Los Pinos Agency in various forms, cloudy, banded, laminated and variegated; in the South Park in the drift, in the lower Arkansas Valley, all through Middle Park and in the Gunnison country.


Actinolite .- Found in radiated form, of light green and bluish-green color, on Mount Ouray, on Buffalo and Sopris' Peaks; in crystallized shapes iu the Bergen district near Bear Creek, and on Boulder Peak.


Alabaster .- This is found in small quantities near Mount Vernon. Is of brownish color, lack- ing that pure snowy whiteness and fine texture so necessary when cut into ornaments.


Albite .- Occurs sparingly in Quartz Hill near Central City, and in Gold Hill in Boulder County.


Altaite .- Occurs in various mines in the Sun- shine district. Minute crystals obtained from the Red Cloud mine at Gold Hill, when analyzed, gave the following result: Quartz, 0.19; gold, 0.19; silver, 0.62; copper, 0.06; lead, 60.22; zinc, 0.15; iron, 0.48; tellurium, 37.90.


Alum .- Found native on the foot-hills near Mount Vernon.


Amalgamite .- Occurring in connection with coloradoite in the Keystone mine, Boulder County.


Amazon Stone .- A green variety of feld-spar ; when pure and of a clear, bluish-green color, very much resembles turquoise. Derives its name from the female warriors near the head-waters of the Amazon River, where it was found iu their pos- session as a charm, many of them engraved with the symbols of Aztec worship. Abundaut in New Mexico; found in Colorado on Elk Creek, with orthoclase, smoky quartz, aventurine, micaccous iron and anhydrite.


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HISTORY OF COLORADO.


Amber .- Found near the head of Cherry Creek ; not clearly defined ; may be only one of the numer- ous resins occurring in lignitic coal.


Amethyst .- Found in small crystals at Nevada and neighboring localities; on Rock Creek, in Clear Creek County ; on the summit of the range east of the Animas; a bluish-violet variety of quartz crystal, of great beauty, whose color is due to a trace of the oxide of manganese.


Amphibolite .- Occurs at numerous localities in the dikes traversing granite. Small ocicular crys- tals can be obtained from the porphyritic and San- idinitic trachytes. Good crystals are exceedingly rare. Found on Buffalo Peaks ; Montgomery ; in volcanic breccia at the head of Ohio Creek; in trachytes on the Gunnison.


Anglesite .- In crystals at the Horse-Shoe Lead Mine in South Park; Freeland Mine on Trail Creek ; Clifton Lode at Central City ; Prospector Lode, in Arastra Gulch, near Silverton.


Anhydrite .- Crystallized at the Salt Works in South Park. Found of a very beautiful wine-red color, and very transparent, near the head of Elk Creek.


Anthracite .- This anthracite coal is of lower and upper cretaceous age ; found in Anthracite Creek, "(), Be Joyful" Creek, in the Elk Mountains, in Uncompalgre cañon. Its greater age has proba- bly given it its character. Dr. Peale, in his report of the United States Geographical Survey of 1874, says of it : "The eruption of the trachyte found near the coal first mentioned, probably so treated it as to deprive it of the bituminous matter. An average taken from seven analyses of the Elk Moun- tain anthracite furnishes the following: Water, 2.757 ; fixed carbon, 77.360; volatile combustible matter, 13.620 ; ash, 6.291 ; specific gravity, 1.740. Antimony .- Associated with the sulphurets of copper, iron, lead, zinc, etc., in gold and silver mines.


Argonite .- Occurring in the form usually termed flos ferri, in Marshall's Tunnel, George town ; on Table Mountain ; in the trachytes near Del Norte ; on the Rio Grande, above Fir Creek; Idaho Springs.


Arvedsonite .- Occurs in quartz in El Paso County.


Argentite .- Usually in small, irregular particles or seams, rarely crystallized. Decomposition results in the formation of native silver. Found in the Colorado Central Mine, Terrible and other mines near Georgetown; in the No Name and Caribou, at Caribou ; in some of the silver lodes at Nevada ; in the Senator lode of the Hardscrabble district ; in many of the lodes of the San Juan mining region associated with fahlerz and pyrargyrite; at the Silver Star, Moore and other mines in the neighborhood of Fair Play.


Arsenopyrite .- Crystallized and massive in the Bobtail and Grinnell mines ; intimately associated with pyrite and chalcopyrite there ; generally aurif- erous; together with silver and copper at the Park lode, Bergen's ranche ; occurs also in the Priest mine, near Fair Play; with Franklinite on Rio Dolores, in Nevada District, Gilpin County.


Asbestos .- Occurs in small quantities, partly radiated, on the snowy range, between Boulder and Berthoud Passes.


Asphalt .- Found in the White River country. It occurs in veins; is very compact and brittle; Found in springs near the summit of the Book cliffs ; also at Cañon City. Several of the petrole- oid products of Colorado have been termed asphalt.


Astrophyllite .- Occurs in quartz on Cheyenne Mountain and at other points in El Paso County.


Aventurine .- Found in Elk Creek. Sometimes called gold-stone ; specimens show white scales in- stead of yellow, which is the usual color.


Azurite .- Generally, the azurite is regarded as " blossom rock " by miners. If resulting from the decomposition of fahlerz, it usually indicates sil- ver-bearing ore. Small, but very brilliant crystals have been found on Kendall Mountain near How- ardsville. Found in the No Name, together with malachite, the result of decomposition of fahlerz, at Caribou ; in the Rosita mines of the Hardscrab- ble district ; around Fair Play and Idaho ; on Trail Creek ; Crater Mountain; in the mines of the Elk | Mountain District, Malachite. Lode, Bear Creek,


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HISTORY OF COLORADO.


Gendhemas Lode, Tucker's Gulch. No crystals of any size, however, have been found, the largest scarcely measuring 0.5 millimeter.


Barite .- In clear, yellow, tabular crystals in the Tenth Legion Mine at Empire; colorless crystals in the Terrible at Georgetown, while near Canon City, transparent crystals are found in the arena- ceous shales of that region. Crystals occur in the limestones near Fair Play, and are found with fine terminations on the Apishapa River.


Basunite .- Is found, together with flint, in some of the trachytes, east of the salt works on South Park.


Beryl .- A crystal of a pale, yellowish-green variety, colored by the oxide of iron. Found on Bear Creek, in Jefferson County.


Biotite .- Found on Buffalo Peak. When de- composed, it becomes splendent brown ; otherwise, it is very dark green, brown or black. Several of the trachytes, more particularly the porphyritic, contain small crystals of biotite. It is also found in some of the basalt.


Bismuth .- Like arsenic and antimony, occurs in many of the mines, but has never been found native.


Bloodstone .- Found sparingly, and very inferior specimens, in Middle Park. A deep green variety of jasper, slightly translucent, containing spots of red, caused by iron.


Calaverite .- Good crystals have been obtained from the Sunshine District. Found in the Key- stone and Mountain Lion Mine, Boulder County. Associated with other tellurides in the Red Cloud.


Cairngorm Stone .- A smoky, tinted quartz crystal, formerly used by the ancient Scots as a jewel. Found at the head of Elk Creek.


Caleite .- In small crystals, scalenohedra, at the Monte Cristo mine, Central. Rhombohedral crys- tals on Cheyenne Mountain, in the limestones of the South Park, in the carboniferous limestones near the Arkansas River; scalenohedra in the Elk Mountain District ; fibrous in Trout Creek Park, on Frying Pan Creek; brown, rose-colored, yellow" and white on Table Mountain at Golden ; scaleno-


hedra and combinations of rhombohedra in quartz geodes near Ouray.


Caolinite .- The product of decomposed oligo- clase. The white, chalk-like bluffs on Chalk Creek, near Mount Princeton, owe their appearance to the presence of caolinite.


Carnelian .-- White and very fine in the South Park. Red and somewhat rare in Middle Park. A very common stone in many other localities in the country.


Cerargyrite .- Small, compact quantities in the Wade Hampton mine, Argentine, Caribou. Small specimens have been obtained from the Red Cloud mine, Gold Hill. It is also found in the Rosita mines and in the Upper Animas region.


Cerussite .- In very small crystals at Central. In the Horse Shoe mines, it occurs earthy, and is found throughout the Elk Mountain District, at Cañon City, and in the Prospector lode, Arastra Gulch, near Silverton.


Chalcedony .- South Park furnishes specimens in the mammillary, botryoidal and stalactitie form. Frequently met with, of a flesh-red color, lining cavities in some of the deep mines. Is frequently found in drift accumulations. At the following places is met with : Chalk Hills, lying south of Cheyenne; Los Pinos Agency ; on the bluffs near Wagon Wheel Gap; along the Upper Rio Grande Valley ; in Middle and South Parks, Buffalo Park, Fair Play and in the Gunnison country.


Chalcopyrite .- Found in every paying mine in Gilpin County. It also occurs in the Terrible, Pelican, Cold Stream and other mines near George- town, as well as of those at Caribou. It is aurif- erous in the mines around Central; is found in the Trinidad gold mining district, in the gold and sil- ver mines of Fair Play and the Elk Mountain Dis- trict, and on the Dolores, near Mount Wilson.


Chlorite .- At most localities, chlorite replaces the mica either in granite or schists. The mineral generally occurs in very thin flakes only, without crystalline faces. Foliated and radiated varieties are found on Trail Creek, on Mount Princeton, and on Soper's Peak.


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HISTORY OF COLORADO.


Coal .- (See Anthracite). Coal occurs and is worked at a number of localities in the State. Two horizons, mainly of coal beds, can be distin- guished-the cretaceous and the post-cretaceous. With the exception of the anthracitic coal of the Elk Mountains and adjacent regions, the Colorado coal is mostly a coking or binding bituminous coal. Some of the banks, however, furnish coal that can- not be utilized for coking purposes. All of this is the kind to which the term "lignite " has heen applied. Cretaceous coal is found on the divide between the Uncompahgre and Cebolla, Elk Mountains, on the lower Animas, the Florida, and on the La Plata. Post-cretaceous coal occurs along the Front Range, near Boulder, at Golden, Colorado Springs, Cañon, near Pueblo and Trini- dad, and westward from that town. In the region of the White River, a number of coal veins have also been found, belonging to this group. A total average prepared from thirty-four analyses of Col- orado bituminous coal, furnishes a good idea as to its position in mineralogical classification : Water, 6.436 ; fixed carbon, 52.617; volatile combustible matter, 34.096; ash, 6.835. Specific gravity, 1.325.


Copper .- Native; arborescent in the Gregory lode and on Jones' Mountain ; in almond-shaped nuggets in placers of Rio San Miguel.


Dolomite .- Occurs as rock in a number of the formations of the State. Very rarely crystallized. Small geodes in middle cretaceous shales are some- times lined with dolomite crystals.


Epidote .- Crystals associated with garnet on Gunnell Hill, Central; throughout the metamor- phics of the Front Range in minute crystals. A large number of the hornblendic dikes contain massive epidote together with quartz. Found on the summit of Mount Bross, in Lake Creek Cañon, on Elk Mountain Range, and on Trail Creck.


Fahlerz .- Argentiferous, mostly antimonial, sometimes arsenical, in the silver mines of the San Juan region. Crystals are very rare.


Fluorite .- Light green tuhes in the Terrible mine at Georgetown; in small crystals and massive,


of violet color, on Mount Mcclellan and Gray's Peak.


Galenite .- Throughout the San Juan mines, galenite is one of the principal ores. Invariably argentiferous, though the quantity of silver it con- tains changes greatly. In small, scattering quanti- ties, it is found almost throughout the State. At the Coldstream mine, very fine crystals are found, combinations of cube and octahedron, rarely rhombic dodecahedron. In the mines near George- town, it occurs iu large quantities.


Garnet .- Once found in quantities in the sluice- boxes of the gulch mines in the South Park, and also west of the range, about Breckenridge and other places. Ferruginous garnets occur in great abundance at Trail Creek, in Bergen district, head of Russell Gulch, and other places, associated with epidote, white quartz, cale spar and copper pyrites. It is met with in various colors. The deep clear red variety is called Almandine; the deep brown is called aplome; two varieties of black are termed melanite and pyrenaite ; a light cinnamon yellow is denominated essonite, and contains from 30 to 40 per cent of lime; an emerald green variety is called ouvarovite, and another of a paler color, grossularite.


Gold .- Native gold, in small, distinct crystals, in the Bobtail, Gunnell, Kansas, and on Quartz Hill near Central; in the gold gulches of Gilpin County; on Clear Creek; placer diggings near Fair Play, in imperfect crystals and laminæ; in Washington Gulch; in the placers of Union Park, and many other localities; in the Elk Mountains ; on San Miguel, on the Mancos and La Plata ; near Parrott City ; in the Little Giant mine near Silver- ton, associated with ripidolite. Occurring as the result of decomposition of the tellurides in the Red Cloud, Cold Spring, and other lodes on Gold Hill, in the Ward and Sugar Loaf district; in the Sun- shine district ; impregnated in volcanic rock in the Summit district, where it is very finely distributed, and contained in pyrite, which, upon decomposi- tion, sets the gold free; at Oro City, in rhyolite; in some of the South Park mines, in Potsdam


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HISTORY OF COLORADO.


sandstone; at the Nevada lode, in azurite. The Gunnell, near Central, yielded gold in fine, small crystals; they are bright, on black sphalerite, and show combinations of cube, octahedron and rhom- bic dodecahedron. Mixtures of gold and silver are found as the result of decomposition of tellu- rides containing both metals.


Gypsum .- Occurs in various localities.


Halite .- Found at the various salt licks through the State, and especially at the salt works in South Park. Found also in springs along some parts of the Platte River.


Hematite .- Specular, micaceous and fibrous.


Henryite .- Found first at the Red Cloud and Cold Spring mines. Later, in all the telluride districts of the State. Fine crystals are very rare.


Hessite .- Gold Hill, Boulder County; on the divide between the Uncompahgre and Animas Rivers; in the vicinity of Parrott City, on the La Plata.


Lead .- Native at Hall's Gulch and at Brecken- ridge. Occurs in many of the gold and silver bearing lodes. Finely crystallized specimens come from the Calhoun lode, Leavenworth Gulch, from the Running lode, Black Hawk and Gardner, at Quartz Hill. Rich specimens of the fine granular variety come from Spanish Bar; also, mixed with copper and iron pyrites, from the Freeland at Trail Run.


Magnetite .- In loose nodules, near Central; in the granites of various localities ; in the dolorite rocks generally ; in octahedral crystals on Quartz Hill. On Grape Creek, near Cañon City, is an extensive deposit of magnetite, which is mined as iron ore.


Malachite .- Is found as the result of decompo- sition of fahlerz and other minerals, in numerous mines near Central, Caribou, Georgetown, Fair Play and Elk Mountain district.


Mica .- Abundantly distributed throughout the mountains. A mine not far from Cañon City is producing large quantities.


Onyx .- Found in Middle Park, on the west side of Grand River and Willow Creek, associated with jasper, chalcedony and fortification agates.


Opal .- Occurs in narrow seams in the granite at Idaho Springs. Is mostly brownish, milk-white at Colorado Springs. Semi-opal found with the chalcedonies at the Los Pinos Agency, and in trachyte north of Saguache Creek. Wood opal is found on Cherry Creek, near Florissant, South Park. Nyalite in the trachytes near Los Pinos Agency, at the hot sulphur springs in Middle Park, and sometimes occurs in very fine specimens in the trachorheites of the Uncompahgre groups.


Orthoclase .- Occurs in very fine, though small crystals in mines near Central; is found in very large pieces in some of the coarse-grained granites. Large tablets of flesh-colored orthoclase can be found near Ouray. Crystals of large size, simple and in twins, occur in the porphyritic dikes at Gold Hill, Boulder County ; at the head of Chalk Creek, interlaminated with oligoclase in the por- phyritic protoginyte; crystallized in Jefferson County ; greenish in South Park, west of Pike's Peak ; reddish on Elk Creek ; brown and gray at various localities near Central City. Beautiful green crystals of orthoclase are found on Bear Creek, near Pike's Peak, associated with smoky quartz. An analysis of specimens from this local- ity furnishes the following result : Silicic acid, 67.01; alumina, 19.94; protoxide of iron, 0.89; soda, 3.15 ; potassa, 8.84. Total, 99.83. There were also traces of lime and magnesia. To the small percentage of protoxide of iron is due the coloring of this orthoclase, though another author- ity regards the coloring matter of this green orthoclase as dependent upon a ferric compound, probably an " organic salt."


Pegmatite .- At several localities in the vicinity of Georgetown, Bear Creek, and Gold Hill, in Boulder County.


Petroleum .- In Oil Creek Cañon, to the east of Cañon City, and on Smoky Creek, ten miles south of Golden, also near Pueblo.


Petzite .- In the gold mines of Gold Hill, occurring in narrow seams and veins; also in other telluride districts. An analysis gives the following result : Quartz, 0.62; gold, 24.10; silver, 40.73;


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bismuth, 0.41; copper, a trace; lead, 0.26; zinc, 0.05; iron, 0.78; tellurium, 33.49. Total, 100.44.


Pickeringite .- Found crystallized in thin nee- dles, near Monument Park.


Pyrargyrite .- Associated with galenite, fahlerz and sphalerite, in the mines of Georgetown. Fine crystals occur in Mount Sneffels district, San Juan.


Pyrite .- One of the most widely distributed minerals of the State. It is mostly auriferous, and associated with chalcopyrite. Found both massive and crystallized. Large bodies of it ap- pear in the lodes near Central.


Pyroxene .- In a number of localities in younger volcanic and metamorphic rocks. Crystals in the basalts of southern San Luis Valley.


Porphyry .- Found in the agate patches of Mid- dle and South Park, and on the Arkansas River, above Cache Creek.


Quartz .- This very common and abundant mineral is found in all our mines. Very many beautiful groups of crystal, with cubes of iron pyrites, have been taken from them. Many of the quartz veins are almost or totally devoid of ore, in which case, the quartz is generally milk- white and pure.


Quicksilver. - Associated with mercury-tellu- ride in the Sunshine district, Boulder County.


Roscolite .- A greenish mineral, intimately asso- ciated with quartz, found at some of the mines in Boulder County.


Sanidite. - Occurs throughout the trachor- heites, sometimes in very handsome crystals. Whereever the trachytes have been reheated, the sanidite is adularizing.


Sardonyx .- Found in Middle Park, near Gol- den and Mount Vernon.


Satin Spar .- Associated with alabaster and arrow-head crystals of gypsum, near Mount Vernon.


Silver .- A silver mineral belt extends almost across the entire State, following the general course of the mountains, but appearing in the flanking ranges and outlying foot-hills east and west of the great divide. From North Park southward through Gilpin, Clear Creek, Summit,


Park, Lake, Chaffee, and the counties of the Gun- nison country, a belt, showing but slight interrup- tions, has been traced. The San Juan Mountains, forming the continental divide in the south, are peculiarly rich in silver veins. The hills and valleys of the Sangre de Christo Range are full of deposits. Silver is the predominating metal in the Sawatch Range. The Park Range is enormously productive. The carbonate deposits of veins of Leadville are world renowned as being immeasura- bly rich.


Sphalerite .- Occurs in almost every mine, but more abundant in lead-silver mines than in gold miues. Varies in color from greenish-yellow to brown and black.


Sulphur .- In small crystals on galenite from the mines near Central. Found in Middle Park, and near Pagosa Springs. Sometimes in narrow seams in galenite, the result of decomposition of the latter.


Sylvanite .- Occurring in foliated masses and thread-like veins in the mines at Gold Hill. In crystals and crystalline masses in the Sunshine dis- trict. An analysis shows its composition as fol- lows: Quartz, 0.32; gold, 24.83; silver, 13.05; copper, 0.23; zinc, 0.45; iron, 3.28; tellurium, 56.31; sulphur, 1.32, with a trace of selenium. Total, 100.29.


Talc .- Occurs to a greater or less extent in nearly all our mines. In fine scales among the gangue-rock of the mines near Central; in light pink scales in the Hardscrabble district ; in Mosco Pass; of a fine dark green color, very hard, and having crystals of sulphuret of iron disseminated through them, at Montgomery.


Tellurium .- Native tellurium at the Red Cloud mine, Gold Hill, in crystalline masses, belong- ing to the hexagonal system. A specimen from this mine, on examination, was found to contain 90.85 per cent, with small quantities of selenium, iron and bismuth, with traces of gold and silver.


Tetrahedite .- Crystals iu Buckskin Guleh ; near Central City; in the San Juan district, where it also occurs massive in a number of mines.


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HISTORY OF COLORADO.


Tourmaline .- Black or dark brown in color. Found in quartz near Central, and on the Arkansas.


Uraninite .- Occurs in large quantities near Nevada district. An analysis furnishes the following result: Uranoso-uranic acid, 11.37; sulphides of iron and copper, 45.81; langen, 42.82.


Wheelerite .- A resin, related to amber. Occurs in the coal of Colorado. An analysis furnishes carbon, 73.07 per cent ; hydrogen, 7.95 ; oxygen, 18.98.


Wollastonite .- Occurs in small quantities in some of the limestones in the Fair Play district.


Zinc .- Occurs more or less in nearly all our gold-bearing veins. Sometimes found associated with chalcedony, and resembling moss agate. Fine specimens have been found in the mines about Black Hawk and Central City.


Zircon .- Crystals of zircon have been found in the feldspar of Pike's Peak ; in small crystals on Bear River ; in Middle Park, and in quartz in El Paso County.


CHAPTER XVII.


PEAK CLIMBING IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.


M UCH fine writing has been indulged in by delighted tourists after ascending some one of the thousand Alpine peaks of Colorado, but the following, from the pen of Maj. W. D. Bickham, the well-known editor of the Dayton (Ohio) Journal, descriptive of an ascent of Pike's Peak in 1879, is, perhaps, the most lucid recital in the language, and no apology will be required for inserting it entire. The Major is too old and true a journalist to spoil the " rat story" by even inti- mating that the lonely grave on the lonely peak is a fraud upon unsuspecting travelers - Norah O'Keefe and her baby and the rats being alike supposititious and non-existent personages and rodents. Passing over his description of the slow and toilsome ascent, which is well written but not particularly pertinent in this connection, we come to the "supreme moment " when the writer finds himself upon the summit, surveying the wonderful panorama which lies spread around him:


"' Those who would see the lovely and the wild Mingled in harmony on Nature's face, Asceud our Rocky Mountains. Let thy foot Fail not with weariness, for on their tops The beauty and the majesty of earth Spread wide beneath shall make thee to forget The steep and toilsome way.'


"Standing on the desolate, echoless peak, the swift-glancing vision is abject servant of all it sur- veys. A gold-hunter in my careless youth, tramp- ing in reckless happiness over the stately peaks of gold-ribbed California, dallying in gay and hopeful fancy with an imaginary sweetheart, or dreaming of the evanescent vision of nights on summits that coquetted with Orion, seeking wild adventure and the most savage haunts of Nature for its own delights, and camping under the moon, courting companionship with the wildest solitudes, I had not even imagined a wilderness of loneliness com- parable with the absolute desolation of this awful summit. I stood for the moment oppressed with the majesty that enveloped me. And even when self-possession slowly returned with the compara- tive restoration of convulsed physical nature, the stupendous realism of the wondrous scene rivaled the tumult of super-stimulated fancy. For a little period before your wandering faculties are remoralized, while staring with dazed eyes upon the glaring sky and confused maze of mountains all around, and plains which spread out below in misty vagueness, chaos seems to have come again. Even the dreary realism of the dismal prospect of the desolate peak itself scarcely dissipates the




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