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Leaving the basin-plain of Yeso, the road rapidly ascends, passing by mountains composed of the gypseous and associated beds, with their stratification greatly disturbed and therefore not easily intelligible: hence this part of the section has been left uncoloured.
From this point, great mountains of purplish and greenish, generally thinly stratified, highly porphyritic conglomerates, including many strata of amygdaloidal and greenstone porphyries, extend up the valley to the junction of the rivers Yeso and Volcan.
Occasionally in the spring, great masses of this detritus slide down the mountains, and cover the snow-drifts in the valleys, thus forming natural ice-houses. We rode over one, the height of which was far below the limit of perpetual snow. As the evening drew to a close, we reached a singular basin-like plain, called the Valle del Yeso.
We rode over one, the height of which was far below the limit of perpetual snow. As the evening drew to a close, we reached a singular basin-like plain, called the Valle del Yeso. It was covered by a little dry pasture, and we had the pleasant sight of a herd of cattle amidst the surrounding rocky deserts.
Why are those boys so ghostly white?" "They are covered with yeso to protect them from sunburn." "Oh yes whitewash." "Gypsum. The Mexicans use it for whitewash, and to preserve the complexion." "Well, those boys must have plastered it on thick; they look like living statues. Not a rag on them except 'breech-clouts. Hello, there comes a troop around that mound to the right.
Their own theory or rather that of the aborigines, the Aïnos of Yeso, a race whom the indefatigable Miss Bird has recently brought prominently before the world states that the goddess of the celestial universe, a woman of incomparable beauty and great accomplishments, came eastward to seek out the most beautiful spot for a terrestrial residence, and at length chose Japan, where she spent her time in cultivating the silkworm, and in the Diana-like pursuits of the chase; until one day, as she stood beside a beautiful stream, admiring her fair form in its reflecting surface, she was startled by the sudden appearance of a large dog.
In this condition they were conveyed to Hakodate, in the island of Yeso, a distance of six or seven hundred miles, being carried, on the land part of the route, in a sort of palanquin made of planks, unless they preferred to walk, in which case the cords were loosened about their legs. At night they were trussed up more closely still, and the ends of their ropes tied to iron hooks in the wall.
The valley takes its name of Yeso from a great bed, I should think at least 2000 feet thick, of white, and in some parts quite pure, gypsum. We slept with a party of men, who were employed in loading mules with this substance, which is used in the manufacture of wine.
Camp was reached a little after dark, and the boys plunged into the river to remove the yeso, and then dressed themselves in civilized garments, Henry drawing on his reserve, and the others from the quartermaster's stores.
Beyond the junction of the Yeso and Volcan, the porphyritic strata appear to dip towards the hillocks of andesite at an angle of 40 degrees; but at some distant points on the same ridge they are bent up and vertical. Some way before arriving at this point, distant lofty pinnacles capped by coloured strata belonging to the great gypseous formation could first be seen.
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