Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

the traveller to stop immediately, and wait, in the best manner he can, until the gale ceases. Many a time I have been overtaken by these "sand storms," while crossing the desert, and obliged to stop, roll myself up in a blanket, and, holding my mule by her picket rope, lie down upon the sand, without shelter, and wait until the storm.

was over.

Near the Mexican boundary line, and south of it, the mesquite and other vegetation is found, and the soil of a portion of the desert lying in Lower California seems to be capable of some cultivation. The great scarcity of water, however, will be an obstacle to its cultivation very difficult to overcome.

The Southern Overland Mail Company, in seeking for water, is obliged to travel some eighty miles in Mexican territory. After leaving Vallecitos, where the road from Los Angeles debouches from the California mountains, the route travelled by this company passes over about sixty miles in our territory, until it reaches the Indian Mills; then it crosses into Lower California, and continues in Mexican territory until it reaches the Colorado river at Pilot Knob, about eight miles west of Fort Yuma; then it returns to our territory.

During the time I was stationed at Fort Yuma, from April, 1857, to May, 1859, I crossed this desert, in every season of the year and in various directions, ten times, and am personally cognizant of the futile efforts of emigrants and of the mail company to find water by digging wells, or in any other manner at their command, to the north of the boundary line, so as to avoid this crossing into foreign. territory.

The proposed route for the southern overland mail, from Los Angeles, via. San Bernardino and the San Gorgonio Pass, arrives at the Colorado river about six miles north of Fort Yuma. This route is entirely within our own territory, and much shorter than the one now travelled, but for about 80 miles before reaching the Colorado, it has been found to be impossible to get water by any of the ordinary means in use. The citizens of San Bernardino county have spent above $4,000 in vain endeavors to dig wells in this stretch of road. In some cases the wells have been sunk to the depth of 120 feet, and no sign of water found. While I was in command of Fort Yuma, two well organized parties, at different times, were sent out for the purpose of thoroughly testing the possibillty of finding water within this 80 miles, but were obliged to return without success, after two weeks hard labor and some suffering from want of water.

The greater portion of this desert is, in my opinion, a most miserable, uninhabited country, a barrier to all civilization, until some means can be devised by which it can be furnished with water. The country at the outlet of the San Gorgonio Pass, and for a short distance to the north and south, near the foot of the California Coast Range of mountalns, where a few springs and a tolerably large pond of water is found, is inhabited by the Ca-hui-ua tribe of Indians. Even the Indians think of this desert with terror. They believe that the souls of the bad Indians are condemned to wander over this desert forever, in the summer without water and in the winter with

out clothing, and from my own experience upon it I can well understand why they consider it the abode of the wicked after death. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient ser vant,

Hon. R. W. JOHNSON,

H. S. BURTON

Captain 3d Artillery, U. S. Army.

Chairman Committee on Public Lands, U. S. Senate.

Letter of Major (now General) Emory, of the United States army. WASHINGTON, March 24, 1860.

DEAR SIR: In reply to your note, received this morning, asking me to furnish you a statement in writing, "showing the physical geogra phy of that portion of country between the eastern base of the main range of mountains on the Pacific coast and the junction of the Gila and Colorado rivers," &c., I beg to refer you to my several reports on the subject, viz: Notes of Military Reconnoissance, Senate Ex. Doc. No. 7, thirtieth Congress, first session, pp. 100 to 103, and Mexican Boundary Report, Ex. Doc. 108, thirty-fourth Congress, first session, part II, vol. 1, pp. 87, 88, and from p. 92 to p. 97, p. 4, vol. 1, and also to the manuscript maps of the boundary over that desert, deposited in the Department of the Interior.

The desert character of that country, the obstacles it presents to the transportation of government supplies and to immigration, are undoubted. These obstacles, unless removed, must in the end force all travel to take the circuitous sea route. That they will ever be removed, under our present mode of disposing of the public lands, is impossible. No single owner of a section of land, or of any ten consecutive sections of land, could, with the least prospect of success, attempt the cultivation of any part of the desert. To open any portion to settlement would require a large capital, and the absolute proprietorship of the right of way of the aqueduct from the source of water to the point to be irrigated, and that would cover a very considerable space.

I think all this will appear from the physical geography of the country, as illustrated in the reports above referred to.

The importance to California of having this oasis established, is very great. Otherwise, all the immense mineral wealth of the Arizona and Gila districts now developing must, instead of going out through some California port, seek the more distant port of Guaymas, in a foreign territory. It is also very important to the general gov ernment; for it is over this desert government stores are transported; and the overland mail has not been able to find a practicable winter

route.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
O. M. WOZENCRAFT, Esq.

W. H. EMORY.

Letter of R. C. Matthewson, Esq., government surveyor in California. SAN FRANCISCO, April 4, 1859.

DEAR SIR: In regard to the information you desire respecting that portion of the Colorado desert embraced between the San Bernardino base line and the Mexican boundary line from north to south, and from the Colorado river to the base of the main range of mountains from east to west, I have to state, that I am familiar with the greatest portion of it, having spent nearly two years in surveying the public lands there.

The whole tract embraced within the specified boundaries may very properly be termed a desert, inasmuch as it is all, with the rare excep tions of a very few spots, utterly destitute of any kind of vegetation, notwithstanding the soil in many portions of it is of the very best quality, being composed of alluvial earths, marl, and shells, which, if it could be irrigated, would, undoubtedly, prove very fertile and productive. After showers of rain, which fall very seldom on the desert, and cover but small patches here and there when they do fall, I have known the "careless" weed to grow as high as ten or twelve feet in a few weeks.

The bed of the Great Salt Lake, situated about sixty miles south of the San Bernardino base line, about sixty miles west of the Colorado river, thirty miles north of the Mexican boundary line, and twenty miles east of the base of the mountains, is unquestionably lower than the bed of the Colorado river, the water flows into it from every point of the compass, and it bears incontrovertible evidence of having once been a portion of the Gulf of California, or the bed of a great inland sea. The old sea beach can be distinctly traced, and marine fossil remains are abundant.

I am of opinion that an aqueduct could be constructed by which the water of the Colorado river might be conveyed to the great basin of this Salt Lake, whence a great portion of the surrounding country might be irrigated, but the enterprise would require a vast outlay of capital before the country could be reclaimed. I am of opinion, however, that the ultimate advantage resulting from the successful consummation of the undertaking would justify the outlay of capital, but of this capitalists must of course judge for themselves. The temperature of the desert, especially during the summer months, is very high, ranging from 120° to 130° Fahrenheit in the shade, and the sand storms are sometimes so violent that mountains of sand are, sometimes during one continued storm, removed completely from one locality to another. There can be no doubt, however, with irrigation, and the consequent verdure, the climate would be greatly modified and adapted to a dense population. At the Coyote valley, where there is an Indian rancheria, near the eastern base of the mountains, grapes, watermelons, &c., are ripe six weeks in advance of those at San Diego and Los Angeles.

This section of country is of no earthly use in its present condition; and I think any company who would reclaim it for getting a fee

simple title to it would be conferring a blessing not only upon the people of California and the United States generally, but upon "the rest of mankind," and especially "those who have to travel across the Colorado desert."

[ocr errors]

I am, very respectfully, yours, &c.,

Dr. O. M. WOZENCRAFT.

R. C. MATTHEWSON.

Letter of A. B. Gray, Esq., commissioner to run the boundary line between the United States and Mexico.

WASHINGTON, April 11, 1860.

DEAR SIR: In reply to your request to give my views in regard to the district of country lying between the Colorado river and San Diego range of mountains, of California, I would state that my knowledge of it personally is confined to the part from Fort Yuma to Carriso creek, some ninety-odd miles, by way of the present emigrant or wagon road.

This section I have been over some four times. It is called the Jornado, or Desert, and except in one or two places, where wells exist, no water is seen, no timber, but stunted mesquite in places, and the ground generally dry, sandy, with the appearance of a vast

waste.

As it now stands, this desert is unavailable for productive purposes; but your plan, if I comprehend it rightly, will, if practicable, I believe, conduce to the public good, and be of great benefit to the United States government, to California, and to the trade and travel generally of that part of our continent.

I remain, respectfully, yours,

Dr. O. M. WOZENCRAFT,

Of California, &c.

Letter of A. D. Campbell, Esq.

A. B. GRAY.

WASHINGTON, D. C., April 6, 1860.

MY DEAR SIR: In reply to your communication of this date, requesting my opinion upon the physical geography of the Colorado desert, the character of the lands there, and the best disposition of these lands, I have to state, that I regard the whole country east of California to the Colorado river, from 36° north to the Mexican line, essentially a desert. A large portion of it, particularly about the thirty-fifth parallel, is sandy, waterless, and woodless. Except on the Mohave river at one or two spots, I do not believe there exists a compact township capable of supporting 200 people and their ne

cessary stock. As a general thing, the soil is intrinsically good, but requires water. The only portion of the above region which can be extensively irrigated is the Colorado desert. I should not like to venture an opinion as to the disposition to be made of these lands by the United States, but I should be loth to accept this whole region as a gift with an obligation to reclaim it.

I am yours, &c.,

O. M. WOZENCRAFT, M. D., Present.

ALBERT D. CAMPBELL.

Letter of John Rains, Esq.

WASHINGTON, D. C., April 14, 1860.

SIR: In answer to your interrogatories relative to the Colorado desert, "Whether or no any portion from the San Bernardino mountains to the eastern and southern boundary line can be occupied or sold for any consideration, and such other information as you may possess in relation to that region of country," I would state that I have crossed and recrossed the above described section of country some fifteen times, and have explored it in all parts where it was possible to go, consequently may claim to have a peculiar knowledge of it, and, from that knowledge, am free to say that there is no portion of it, with the exception of the location of the Indian rancheria, at the opening of the San Gorgonio Pass, on which man or animal could subsist, or any portion of it that could be sold for any consideration, as there is neither water or vegetation, and the excessive heat and drifting sands make it extremely difficult to cross over it, owing to which there has been great suffering, loss of life and property.

It would be difficult to estimate the amount of property and stock lost on this desert of death, (as called by the Mexicans.) I lost myself at one time some thirty thousand dollars' worth of sheep, that I had driven thus far from New Mexico.

I consider the entire section (named by you) not only valueless, but a great barrier to the prosperity of the State of California and to the general government; and if water could be introduced on it, (which would appear difficult from the repeated failures in digging wells,) it would be a blessing to mankind, as there are portions of it that would be fertile were that element introduced.

I witnessed, in 1849, (after the overflow of New river,) luxuriant growth of grass and other vegetation along and adjacent to the course taken by the water.

Yours, respectfully,

O. M. WOZENCRAFT.

JOHN RAINS.

« AnteriorContinua »