The weekly Placer herald., 1854-09-09
Journal of a Ride from Cuo
mas to HermOSillO and Ur"s

Wulill1g some tlme IN Sonora, and is
we'll acquainted with the Mexic,n
country and character, furnishes 10
with an account Of some of his trav
els, which will not fail to prove inte
resting to many readers:
At about 5 P. M. we arrived at tbo
first ranch from Guaymas, distant .
long seven leagues; here we changed
animals. | was disappointed in the
appearance of the country out from
Guaymas it is far more sterile than
| anticipated, being a soil composed
of sand and coarse gravel, covered
with cacti and stinted mesquete no
water having red volcanic appear
ance. The road is excellent from
Guaymas to Hermosillo, being level
and delightful for a two horse buggy
At about 10 P. M. arrived at a ranch
and put up for the night; distant
from Guaymas about 16 leagues
Got supper, composed of beef roa sted
on spit, tortillas, bread, cheese and
water The water is excellent out of
Guaymas there it is brackish.-
Next morning awoke about 3 A. M.
aud got a cup of chocolate; by this
time the diligence was ready; Jumped
in and started again. Our mules not
having been wellfed over night, soon
began to manifest desire to slacken
their speed. At 6 A. M. passed a
rancho 20 leagues from Guaymas,
consisting of seven leagues of land,
good buildings, some 800 head of
cattle, and few horses and mules
One of the gentlemen informed me
said ranch had been sold some three
months ago, with all its stock, for Two
thousand three hundred dollars, the
title undisputed. At 8 A. NJ. arrived
at another ranch or hacienda, and
took breakfast; changed our animals
and contipued our journey. At IL
NJ. stopped at Aaother hacienda and
took lunch. One thing | liked to
have forgot to mention; on the road
from Guaymas, never in my life saw
rabbits so plenty in any paxt of the
world | have counted seven at
time within shot Of the diligence,
and some so near that | fred my re-
voIver at them. Also deer are very
numerous, we saw many by the road
side; also focks of quail of the CAL
ifornia species.
Started again and arrived in Her.
mosillo at 5 P. M. ! am much dis
appointed in the appearance of he
country from Guaymas to Hermosillo.
1t is sterile, dry and hard, interspersed
with high mountains that have vol
canic appearance. The road is lev
ell, and with little labor conld be
made an excellent one, as it is gray
ely all the way; but water is very
scarce. and without irrigation nothing
can be produced from the soil. There
are some fine ranches, two of which
might be called haciendas, on one
of which they have had to throw up
embankments, covering an area OF
twenty acres, to catch and hold ram
water in the rainy season, for irrlga-
ton. The distance from Guaymas
to Hermosillo is some 45 leagues,
with only five or six points inhab-
tied.
Now for a description of Hermo-
sillo. 1t is indeed beautiful, as It's
name denotes. 1t is situated IN the
midst of beautiful valley, through
which runs meandering the river So
nora. The river runs on the south
side of the city. The town is wen
watered by aqueducts running thro.
the entire length and breadth, at
right angles. The water is clear,
pure and soft. The streets are re-
markably clean, but badly LAID oul'
not being at right angles. lthas TWO
very respectable churches, and one >
large plaza, set with shade trees ana ,
a row of stone seats around the Whole
square. :.
Immediately on the south side there 10
a large mountain of white appearance
containing marble of an inferior qua''.y,
Away to the westward, as far as the eye
can reach, is beautiful PLAIN OF gIee"ii