The Nevada journal., 1853-10-07
From the San Francisco Herald
Discovery ofRuined Cities within the
Great Basin.

Great Basin.
The Great Basin in the middle OF our Ter
ritory, bounded on the North by the Wah-
satch Mountains and the settlements of the
Mormons in Utah, on the East by the
Rocky Mountains skirting the right bank
of the Rio Grande, on the South BY the
Gila, and the West by the Sierra Nevada,
Is a region still almost unknown. Trap
pers and rnountaineers have passed oil
around the inner side of its rim, but none
have ever crossed it with the exceptions of
MIR. Beaie, who traversed on his recent trip
its Northern slope, and Capt. Joe Walker,
the famous mountaineer, who passed near
ly through its centre in the wlHter OF 1850.
But little, therefore, is known regarding 1t,
but that little is exceedingly interesting,
and fills the minds with eagerness to know
more. From Capt. Walker we have gath
cred many particulars regarding his ceie-
brated trip, and the character OF this mys
:erious land, which have never before been
brought to light There is no lack OF
streams within it 3; the Rio Colorado Chi
quito, CT Little Red River runs entirely
across it, about 100 miles the North Of the
.Gila and almost parallel, to it, and empties
anto the Colorado. About 120 miles still
further North the San uan follows exact
" the same course as the Little Red, and
empties into Grand River, the most impor-
tant branch of the Colorado. Grand Xiv
er itself pursues a course little South OF
West across the Northern part Of the la
sin, while the Avonkaree, a large river dis
covered by Mr.. Beale, Green River, and
she Rio Virgen, are all large streams, which
drain the Northern mountains rim and run
in Southerly direction into the Colorado.
The Great Basin between the Colorado
and the Rio Grandc IS an immense table
land, broken towards the Gila and tue Rio
Grande by detached Sierras. Almost all
the streams run through canons. The
country is barren and desolate, and entire
lY uninhabited even by the lowest order OF
Indians. But though now so bleak and
forbidding strewn all around may De seen
the evidence that it was once peopled by
civilized and thickly settled population
They have long since disappeared, but their
handiwork still remains to attest their Tor
mer greatness Capt. Walker assures as
that the country from Colorado to the Rio
,Grande between the Gila and the San
Juan, is full of ruined habitations and cities
most of which are On the table land. Al
though he had frequently met with crumo-
ling masses of masonry and numberless
specimens of antique pottery, such as have
been noticed in the immigrant trail south
of the Gila, it was not until his last trip
across. that he ever saw q structure stand
ING. On that occasion he had penetrated
about midway from Colorado into the will
derness, and had encamped near the Little
Red River, with the Sierra Blanca loom.
ing up to the south, when he noticed at
little distance an object that induced him
to examine further.
AS he approached, he found it to be a
kind of citadel, around which lay the ruins
of CITY more than o mile long. 1t was
located on gentle declivity that sloped
towards Red River, and the lines Of the
streets could be distinctly traced, running
regularly at right angles with each other
The houses had all been built of stone, but
all had been reduced to ruins by the ac-
rtion of some great heat, which had evil
IDENTITY passed over the whole country. 1t
was no ordinary conhagration, but must
have been some fierce furnace-like blast
of fire, similar to that issuing from vol
.cano. as the stones were all burnt, some of
them almost cindered, others glazed as if
melted. This appearance was visible in
syery ruin he met with. A storm of fire
seemed to have swept over the whole face
of the country, and the inhabitants must
have fallen before it. In the centre OF the
civ we refer to, rose abruptly a rock TWEEN
ty or thirty feet high, upon the top of which
stood portion of the walls OF what had
once been an immense building. The out
line of the building was still distinct, al
though only the northern angle, with walls
fifteen or eighteen feet long, and ten feet
high, was standing. These walls were
constructed of stone, well quarrled and
we'll built. ALI the south end of the build
inc seemed to have melted to cinders, and
10 have sunk to mere pile OF rubbish
Ever the rock on which it was built appear
ed to have been partially fused by the heat
Capt. Walker spent some time examining
this interesting spot-he traced many OF
+he streets and the outlines of the houses
b,t could find no wall standing; as Often
az he had seen ruins Of this character, ne