Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-03-27
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
SCENES ia THE DESERT.

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SCENES GArHE DESERT
Er,yocs from pr;yate letters Of members Of The
Nh Mexican Boundary Commission
FL 81 {8ka sAs DISCO, CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY 2.
s.Here am, seated in the camp OF my friends tne
officers Of the Coast Survey all Of whom old chums
81 mine. am with them visit Of day or 50, and,
While they are at work in the field sit down to drop
line for the steamer of tomorrow Our party (sir,
Grays arrived in San Diego the 9th January last af
ter very tough tramp Of nearly four months. 6r
We left the Copper Mines post on the 9th August
and overlook Gen. Condo in about hundred and thirty
miles From there we went to the San Pedro, thirty
miles distant, and encamped while Mr.. Bartlett, Col
Graham and Gen. Condos parties proceeded to Santa
Cruz and Tucson, small Mexican frontier towns Mr.
Bartlett and party lost for several days IN the desert
mountains and lived on mezQuite beans tree peculiar
to the country through which had passed. although
we had found it in Texas Finally one Of them found
his way back to camp, and We gave him provisions
for the party, although were on short allowance our
selves They finally reached Santa Cruz, but Mr.. Bart
let's drafts being useless there, and having money
with him. he was unable procure provisions Mr.. Gray,
becoming alarmed Mr. Bs proracted Absence started
for the towns He raised small amount Of money among
the laborers and with waspurchased
sWe left the river San Pedro the Goth September,
and struck the ella very nearly at the point where
work was to commence the 9th Of October, after
tramp arid sandy country sometimes being for
two days without sufficient water relieve thirst What
o refreshing sight it when first saw the line Of
cottonwood trees which always indicate the presence Of
water / little thought how anxious should be in o
short time leave that beautiful little river but crcum
stances very apt to change ones ideas about matters
and things After resting for day, commenced work
on the 18th October and from that time until the 28th Of
December we worked necessarily from daylight until dusk
without two days intermisson
..We struck the ella in open valley below the pass
indicated in Emorys report the Devils Turnpike.
The river at this place from thirty to forty feet in
width and perhaps eighteen inches Deep but it was
clear sparkling, swift merry little stream look
ed upon. AS we worked down. however, the valley
rowed and the mountains closed in upon and became
very high and steep and the river deepened We were
compelled to ford the stream frequently during the day.
and, obliged to carry double it was always
Of excitement and amusement. We began to OBJ
serve large quantities of Emorys Aztec pottery scattered
in all directions, and obtained many specimens We
also found large quantities Of jaspar obsidian milky
quartz agaes, and many other stones which Emory de-
scrbes. We finally struck pass in the mountains which
Emory describes impossible for wagons pack mules
1t truly ugly looking place. On both sides Of the
pass of solid gloomy rocks from the water
while the stream, dark and swift rolled rapidly between
these huge walls inch Of ground either side to
plant ones foot One of the dashed into the river
and the wagons followed 1t was exciting scene; the
shouting and sometimes swimming, while the poor
mules strained every and struggled for their lives
They finally got through sae and then such shout
up! Here first saw the cereus giganteus. 1t is q
lofty green column, with its exterior futed and large
thorns all it. The top Of oval shape and it has
large arms extending upward from its sides You will
~1cxoc
in Major Emorys report Our road was exceedingly
rough after entering this mountain pass We obg
cd to let wagons down the mountains with ropes very
frequently, and occasionally unfortunate mule would
lose his footing and away he'd CO. rolling and
down the mountain and first certain the animal
was Dead but being relieved Of his pack he jumped
up shook himself and being repacked plodded up the
mountain if nothing had happened. 1t was very hard
work for surveying party here were wet through
all day and frequently did not get into camp until late at
night In few days from this time the mountains be-
came precpitous that obliged to abandon the
wagons seemed If were parting from old friends
as We took last look at them. We had few In
dams short time before but day two after abandon
ed the wagons very much troubled by them, night
and day Wepassed through several different tribes but
did not remain long enough among any one tribe to learn
much Of their habits The large and finely form
Cd with muscular legs and broad expansive chests
We have invariably noticed that their small,
owing their exemption from all labor the per-
forming It all amongst other drudgery, having carry
large loads Of wood in huge baskets made Of the leaf
species Of cactus These Indians the Phon Llahos
or Females the Apaches the Tontos and the Coyoeros
They are all very fine horsemen The ride well
also and have the position the animal the
1t would rather astonish you to them dashng
down mountain at full speed while they quite
conscious Of doing any thing unusual
About this time rather reduced in the provi-
sion line. We had nothing eat except beef and that
without salt. We had no four coffee, sugar, no
beans bread rice in fact bad nsthng but beef
You may well imagine how glad we we're when We were
enabled TO buy Ole pumpkins and salt from the
Indians. Just imagine young gentleman who used to
sport jimmy hat blue coat grey pants standing collar,
and patent feathers Pennsylvania avenue, sitting down
on the ground TO elegant collation. Of cold beefand
nothing eledressed in ragged pants, st ragged
coat pair of boots which to have been made on
the principle Of letting water it got in
and, to cap the climax shocking bad hat with the
addition Of large pistol and bowie knife stuck in hi,
belt and large Mississippi rife lying his knees
may be traly styled 'hard-looking case x i
1.-The men and women Of these tribes wear their hal,
short Their the bow and and the lance
These the Indians whom Major Emory mentions al
being very trcacherous They very friendly TO us
however but the of IL that they supposed