.OTk1.NjQ2MjU

27 ship raises out of the water at sea, on the third day we could distinguish the snow line distinctly, on the fourth day Pikes Peak with its sugar loaf head rost into sight, on the fifth day the whole mountain range rose out of the plain just like a ship covered by the waves and suddenly emerging into sight. It was truly a grand looking sight, and one that I can never forget there was something terribly grand in those tremendous rocks covered with eternal snow I felt so elevated at the sight that I considered that I was already well repaid for all the trial and hardships I endured in coming here. On the sixth and seventh day they continued to raise showing new beauties of landscape every moment till on the eight morning when just as the sun rose we stood apparantly at their very base and it seemed as if they were hanging over us though still twenty five miles distant. After viewing the mountains for about an hour we took up our line of march again although it was sunday morning for Denver City only ten? miles distant we were now approaching the Platt River again the City is situated on its banks and we had some pretty rough bluffs to climb, at about noon we climbed an unusually high one and as we reached its summit Denver City lay stretched before us at our feet. It was a novel looking sight to us weary and almost exhausted prairie travelers I could hardly believe my eyes the goal of all our desires reached at last there it lay a gem on the sides of the largest mountains in the world. The City made a very fine appearance the streets were broad and regular and crossed at right angles the town site was very level being on the Platt river bottoms and the river winding like a silver thread through its very centre and then the eye could trace it to the very foot of the mountains the houses were mostly built of wood and had a singular appearance they were new nearly all of them built the preceding summer and they had never been painted. We descended