Washington sentinel., 1855-02-11

Il
| abundance through range of naked sand
hills skirting "Adair Bay" near the head Of
the Gulf of California, furnishing an isolated
band of Papgo Indians with an important ar
ticle of food The fresh plant is cooked by
| roasting upon the hot Goals, and resembles the
sweet potato in taste, having much saccharine
matter about it. 1t is likewise dried and mixed
with less palatable kinds of food, such as mes
quit beans, DC. Ii is represented to be very
delicious vegetable, and could it be trans
planted, Mr.. Gray believes that it would con-
stitute an important acquisition to the table,
probably not second in demand to the sweet
potato or asparagus. l understand, however,
| that Professor Torrey thinks it cannot be grown
elsewhere, unless the root or shrub, which is
entirely under ground &c., to which it attaches
| ITSELF can be also transplanted. Professor
| Torrey is now preparing for MIR. Gray botsni-
cal description of this interesting plant, under
| the name of An,mobroma Sonore," which
will signify Sand Food Of Sonora.
1t will be published with fall description Of
this hitherto unexplored region, constituting
part Of the Gadsden purchase, in work which
| learn Mr.. Gray is now compiling from the
notes OF his various expeditions and adventures
through Texas, Sonora, and chihuahua. have
seen large number of exceedingly well drawn
L ouA AusCACotAuS siC"o WuiCA WcIc ldhcH uuIluk
Mr.. Gray's reconnoissances and which will &C.
company his ssna X, together with correct maps
| from actual surveys.
Mr.. Gray was the first to examine with in
struments the region West and Southwest o
Cooks road, and to the Gulf of California. ],
was done under authority granted by the Mexi
can Government to make surveys for Pacific
railway, previous to the Gadsden treaty. He
| penetrated the sand hills and reached the Gull
| shore with five men, when they discovered o
band of Indians who had never seen white
| people before Upon the approach Of the party
| the Indians hurried off their women and chill
dren, and made every demonstration for an
attack. An old chief residing in the interior
who, after many presents and much persuasion
was induced to guide Mr.. Gray to the Gulf
went ahead, and held council with the Chiefs
of the band. After several hours, they con.
sented to be friendly, brought in their squaws
and pappooses, and visited the camp ground
Of Mr. Gray. They brought him fish, dried
Papigo plant, and pinole, made of mixture ot
| friendship. Mr.. Gray thinks they we're the
LATEST looking Indians he ever saw, lounginp
| and basking abont the most miserable little
huts, constructed Of dwarf mesquit and cane
brush, and alternating in their food, between
the potatoe of the sand hills, and the SHE'LL and
other kinds Of fish found in the lagoons, and
| on the sea shore.
| The hard and soft crabs, mullets and oysters
OF the Gulf are very 6ne,--diferent from those
noticed on the Upper California coast, and re
sembling very much those of the Chesapeake
Bay. Mr. Gray also observed great number
| Of hawks--a large kind Of fish hawk-whch
were domestcated and tanned by the Indians
| Their lodges were filled with them. Mr.. Gray
endeavored to ascertain what they did with
them, and was led to believe, from their signs
that they used them for .falconing after fsb, as
well as for the purposes Of food. One of his
| party, when returning from the Gulf shot q
hawk from thetopofa high cactus, tPitahay and
when cooked II was found to be excellent eat
ing. The Indians appeared TO be very con
tented, and to have no desire to go beyond the
range of the sand hills encircling their haunts
which extend about fifty miles northwest and
| southeast and some ten or twenty broad
around Adair Bay.
| Mr.. Gray thinks this the worst tornado he
ever saw, and the only desert between the Rio
Grande and the head Of the Gulf Of California
yet, strange to say, nature seems to have pro
vided, even in this forlorn spot, for the susie
nence of man, one Of the most remarkably
nutritious vegetables that is any where known
| No rain had fallen any where for more than
SIX months IN this region, yet the sand.' potato
was fiourishing in abundapce throughout the
naked sands. By digging deep, however, il
was noticed that water could be got almost any
| where, but of a most salty and disagreeable
| taste. Another party, one Of whom-Mr.
Poston, of California-is now in Washington,
followed upon the trail of Mr.. Gray, and they
| found the potato to be as welcome as it was
unexpected to them.
Mr.. Gray is led TO believe, from his recent
| explorations, that the immediate head of the
Gulf will be of very little value; but that other
har5ors exist between it and Guaymas, not vet
occupied by the Mexicans, that must become
| important. The railroad can, be says, be con.
structed from the Rio Grande to the junction
of the Gila and Colorado rivers, without much
difficulty, within the present limits Of the Gads-
den treaty; but line somewhat further South
would have given fine country, with rich
valley, and immensely valuable mines The
present boundary limits include some fine rich
valleys, gold, silver, and copper mines of ex.
ceeding richness and magnificent ranchos, and
| old deserted haciendas, destroyed by Apache
Indians. BY his observations, he finds the
towns Of Tucson and Tubac within the limits
Of the late purchase; also, part OF the valley
Of Senta Cruz, including the old missions Of
A
longing to Governor Gandara, of Sonora, the
deserted ranches OF Babacomori and San Pc
dro, and part Of San Bernardino, on Cooks
road.
Mr.. Gray believes that the value Of the pur
chased territory chiefly lies in the richness Of
several extensive mines Of silver and copper
He procured many specimens from deserted
mineJ, which, when analysed, gave great re-
suits.
The Arizona mine, which Count Boulbon
and his party we're in search OF falls little
south Of the boundary, as does likewise the
historically celebrated Pancha de Ia Plata
mine. The town of Santa Cruz, near the head
Of the fine valley OF that name, also falls south
Of the boundary. The Arrivaca and Sopori
mines belong to the United States, but the fine
rancho Of Bosani is in Mexico, some ten or
twelve miles from the line.
Although, in Mr.. Gray's opinion, the agri-
cultural may be Of less value than the mineral
resources Of the newly purchased territory, yet
be thinks that persons, in travelling through
such regions, are apt to underrate cultivatable
II