The republic., 1851-09-12

man. Antelope and deer are seen in herds
bounding over the hills or browsing on the
stunted grass of the barren soil. Bears are Of
ten seen among the mountains, and the various
carnivora common in the western portion of the
United States are found here, though in linn
tied numbers. Even the feathered tribes pre-
sent very limited variety, for the reason,
doubtless, that there is little to sustain them
and but few trees for their protection. Barren
and desolate as this country is, it is neVerthe
less an interesting field for the naturalist. The
botany is new and peculiar. The dry and
paTched soil furnishes habitatOns for numbers of
reptiles and small mammiferous animals not yet
described and, for the geologist and mineralo-
gst, richer field cannot be presented in any
portion of the earth.
Other descriptions are given in the despatch
es from the Commissioner.
The first attractive spot met with in the
journey was San Bernardino, which is described
as beautiful plain or valley about mile in
width and some ten or fifteen miles long,
through which winds small rvulet, sustained
by several springs. This valley bursts upon
the sight as the traveller descends from the
presents so many obstacles. Its appearance is
that of a luxuriant meadow, the grass growing
from three to four feet in height. San Bernar-
dino consists of ruined rancho or cluster of
mud houses, enclosed by wall of the same
material, formed into regular bastions for de
Thesplace was abandoned some fifty or sixty
years since, in consequence of the attacks
of the Indians, and has not since been oc-
cuped Nothing now remains but sufficient
of its crumbling and fallen walls to show
the form and extent of the original. This
was the most northerly colony in Sonora, east
of the San Pedro 1t was founded solely for
the purpose of using the rich valley OF meadow
referred to for raising cattle. This valley,
hemmed in on all sides by barren hills and
space, and enabled the owners to raise immense
numbers of cattle. When it was abandoned
the cattle were driven off; still some remained
which had probably wandered among the hills,
from which there has been so large an increase
that, fromthis place to the San Pedro river, and
far beyond, immense herds of wild cattle now
roam. They were seen from San Bernardino
to Fronteras, near every spot where there was
grass or water.
With the exception of the small valleys,
which are watered by small stream which
passes Fronteras, and they are exceedingly few
in number, the whole State of Sonora is vast
sierra. From the Gila southwark, as far as
could be judged from an extensive view from
the mountain tops, to the ridge the commission
crossed, there seemed to be continuous plain,
studded here and there at intervals of twenty
or more miles with an isolated mountain, or
short ridge of mountains. These increase in
number and in height as you proceed south,
until reaching Fronteras, when the great Cor
dlllera chain assumes more decided aspect.
The lesser and shorter ridges here unite and
form an impossible barrier, called the Sierra
Madre, (Mother of Mountains which, contin-
uing through Mexico, the Isthmus of Panama,
and South America, form the great backbone
or dividing ridge of the two continents.