[Illustration: THE WINDOW—From the Basin of the Chisos Mountains, the “Window” provides the only vista of the lower plains. Unique and colorful rock formations may be observed along the trail to the “Window.”] [Illustration: SANTA ELENA CANYON—The Rio Grande has carved its channel for eighteen miles through the Mesa de Anguila and Sierra Ponce. Here at the river’s exit, the walls of the canyon rise 1,500 feet above the Rio Grande.] Legendary stories of the Apache Indians and of lost silver mines are prevalent in the Big Bend region. A popular legend of Spanish and Mexican origin is related to Lost Mine Peak. More than one hundred years ago, when Texas was a part of Mexico, a prison was located at San Vincente, on the south side of the Rio Grande. On many occasions the prisoners were assigned to work in a mine located in the Chisos Mountains. None of the prisoners ever returned to San Vincente as those persons in command did not intend to divulge the location of the mine. To this day Mexicans like to relate that on Easter Sunday morning, if a person will stand in the doorway of the San Vicente Mission and wait for the sun to rise, the first rays of the sun will strike a cave in the side of Lost Mine Peak, indicating the location of the mine. Many investigations and diligent searches for the mine have been unsuccessful, and Lost Mine Peak retains the secret of this legend in mute repose. Another phase of the lost mine story is that the miners were about to be attacked by a hostile band of Indians and blasted the opening of the mine, which was covered by an avalanche of igneous rock. The group of miners were pursued and killed by the Indians, carrying with them the secret of the mine’s location. Following the early explorations of Cabeza de Vaca, the history of the Big Bend region is linked with Spanish Missionaries and the settlers and ranchers who began to push westward in the 1800’s. The Big Bend area was surveyed by Major W. H. Emory of the International Boundary Survey Commission of the United States and Mexico in 1852. Emory Peak, with an elevation of 7,835 feet, the highest in the Park, was named for Major Emory. A later episode of historical significance is associated with the expedition of Lt. Echols in 1859-1860. Lt. Echols was sent from Fort Stockton to locate a site for an Army post in the Big Bend area, near the Comanche War Trail. During this expedition, in which camels were used to test their value in the desert southwest, Lt. Echols traveled along the Comanche Trail through an extensive section of the Park. In his report, which was published in Messages and Documents, Lt. Echols described his visit to the Santa Elena Canyon. He selected a site for a post near Castolon and reported favorably on the use of camels in the southwest.