, 1853-11-05
Discovery Of Ruined Cities within The
Great Basin.


Wah,atch Mountain. anil the them n,s Of
the Mormons in Utah, on the East by lhe
Rocky Mountains shIrting tn, right bank
Of the RIO Grande, on tn south by the Gill,
and the West by the Sierra Nevada, is
region still almost unknown. HaPprrs and
mouulaineers have passed all around the in
ner side of lis rim, Tut none have ever
crossed it with the exception Of Mr.. Bcala,
who lraversed ON his recent tip its North
ern slope, and Capt. Joe Walker, the IA
nous mounlainocr, who passed nearly
through lis centre in the winter Of lSjO.-
But little, thcr,lo.r, is known regarding i,
but that Iil,lt is exceedingly interesting, and
fills the mind with eagerue,s to know more.
From Capt Walkr we have gathered
many particulars regarding his celebrated
trip, and the character Of tbs mysteIious
land, which have never before been brought
to light. There is no lack of streams within
it; the Rio Colorado Chiquito, or Little
Red River, runs entirely acIos it, about
100 miles to the North Of the ella and al
most parallel to it, and cmplcs INTO the
Colorado. About l2O miles still further
North the San Juan follows exactly the
same course as the Little Red, and emptics
into Grand River, the most important
branch Of the Colorado. Grand River
Itself pursucsa course little South Of West
across the Northern part of the Basin, wilde
the Avonkarec, large river discovered by
Mr.. Btale, Green River, and the Rio Nr-
gen, are all large streams, which drain the
N,vtIa,, ~ t,,, ot,l rttp -, p1,ttI
elly direction into DE Colorado.
The Great Basin between the Colorado
and the Rio Grande is an immense table
land, broken towards the Gill and the Rio
Grandc by detached Scrras. Almost all
the streams run through deep canons. The
country is barren and desolltc, and entirely
uninhalited even by the lowest order Of
Indians. But though now so bleak and
forbidding, Sircwn all around may he seen
the evidences that it was once pcoplcd by a
civilized and thickly settled population
They have long since disappeared, but their
handiwork still remains 10 attest their for
mer greatness. Cap. Walker assures Us
that tue country from the Colorado 10 the
Rio Grande and San Jnan, is full of ruined
habilalions and cities, most Of which are on
the table land. Although he had frequently
met with 'crumbling masses Of masonry aud
numbcrless specimens Of antique pottery,
such as have been noticed in the immigrant
trail south Of the Gla, il was not until his
last trip across, that he ever saw Structure
standing On that occasion he had pene-
trated about midway from the Colorado in
to the Wilderness, and bad encamped near
the Little Red River, with the Sierra Blahca
looming up TO the south, when he noticed
at a Little distance an object that induced
him to examine further. As he approach
cd he found it to be kind Of citadel, around
which lay the ruins Of a city more than
mile in length. 1t was located on a gentle
decivily that sloped towards Red River,
and the lines of the streets could be distinctly
traced, running regularly at right angl,s
with each other. The bOuscs had all been
built of stone, but all had been reduced to
ruins by the action Of some great heat,
which had evidently passed over the whole
country. |! was no ordinary confagratlon,
but must have been some fierce furnace-like
blast OF FIRE, similar 10 that issuing from a
volcano, as the stones were all Ourh', some
Of them almost clndcred, others glazed as II
melted This appearance was visible in
every ruin he met with. \ storm Of fire
seemed 10 have swept over the whole face
Of the country, and the Inhabitants must
have fallen before it. In the centre OF the
city we refer 10, rose abruptly rock twenty
or thiIty feet high, upon the top OF winch
stood a portion Of the walls ol what had
once been an immense lullding. The out.
line Of the building was still distinct, aIlho
only the northern angle, with walls 10 or Is
feet long, and 10 feet high, was standing.
These wall. were constructed Of stone, well
quarricd and well built, All the south end
OF the building seemed TO nave mcI'eu 70