The World of Wonders (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1877 Excerpt: ... feeds upon; it flies on hour after hour, and hardly ever alights, for the honeybearing flower would tilt over. The giant birds of old, especially those of New Zealand, had to dig up tough roots, and to get over tall ferns and low scrub. As their weight rendered flying impossible, they had to walk; hence the wingless birds were long-legged, strong-toed, and had hairy-feathers. A WONDERFUL COUNTRY. On looking at a map of North America, a large river, called the Colorado of the North, will be seen to flow from the Rocky Mountains into the Gulf of California, on the western side of tjfie continent. Inonep-rt of its course the river passes through one of the most wonderful countries in the world. There are vast plains, rising one beyond the other like enormous steps, and they extend for great distances. Range after range of cliffs, with flat tablelands upon them, are seen to stretch away as far as the eye can reach. There is hardly a tree to be seen, no grass exists, and an occasional cedar and prickly pear are the only living things in the land scape. It is burning hot by day--terribly dry and shadeless; but by night it is bitterly cold, and snow often falls. None of the wild animals which abound around the region ever come into it, and the rattlesnake and scorpion live there as the sole possessors of the soil. There is no water on the surface of the land, yet the great river and its side streams run through the country, and enormous volumes of water are constantly passing along. In this consists the chief wonder of the country, for the river has cut its way through the earth, along deep cracklike precipices, and it flows 6,000 feet below the plain. In one deep valley the river is even a mile from the surface. There are no sloping valleys, but numberless cafio...