The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-08-28

M "a ne soutDsns>eyp terminus Of the Admuh M
TINS point does noe 70 reach ne pine region which
these hsfudes may be considered - apoas 600 feet
The surface OF Northwest Sonora characterized by
simplicity OF features; and but Tor closer ex
animation even more scrapuoas observer would not
be ABLE 10 discover more than mere duafsm OF duvA
drn and pluto volcanic rocky mountains Along very
considerable portion Of the line the former has covered
almost 10 the top those ranges OF the latter which ap
proach the bottom lands Of the Colorado. Indeed the
northwestern section sf Azmuth tine running over
what may be properly styled yelled country for OF
mountains only the tops or to be seen
sonaly sticking out from the deeoate sandats which
have iiied up the entire valley Of the lower Colorado
THIS river winds its course through these forsaken bar
OF drifting sand, like serpentining oase bordered
by comparatively but narrow strips Of timbered bot
The mountains ranging across that drift form the frame
skeleton of the geological ednce Of the country whilst
the duvial main may be loo ked at the sinew and
muacie we 60 further in comparing the alluvia de-
pOss, with tegumen or even geognostical epderms
efficiency however facilitates the obaerv atons Of the
geoogst who may look upon this country upon some
object already prepared and laid open for analytic nves
tigation.
THE AIIUvIuM.-As the uppermost stratum we first
take sight OF the asvium, Of which very little s met
with over the whole country, except at the extremies
Of the line The larger share Of confined the
bottom lands of the Colorado and those comes
the region OF the higher mountains whilst strange to say
the plains, IN this respect, are last in order
The rlopes, and generally the more or less inclined
planes on the fountains are sufficiently rough 70 form
crevices, delk and small valleys. with obstructed
outlets To prevent entire deprivation of allnvia
auyal deposits the conduon Of primary importance for
the oey eopement of vegetable life Of which the almost
naked plains suffering under the sway Or climatic sever
ties and under the devastating sweep Of almost con
Of auyial so may be looked for at the called
"playas in the plains These depressi0ns OF ground
which are a. The greatest vertical Instance nom me
basins the deposits OF the atmosphere together
with the lighter parts Of the surrounding soil, are car
RED In many the traveller may hnd here q more
developed vegetation, consisting, however, more OF
Of equals than Of diversity OF species and genera
to promote vegetable life in such places sadly
balanced by the saline character OF the SOIL and thus
prevalence OF corresponding FORMS obone, sasola
salcorna bats and Others take the place Of agaroba
prosapss, or even salix in CORE spending places.
The DuuvAI AAS.-The mainland filling up the
space between the various mountain ranges which cross
the Azmuth line from southeast towards northwest Is
constituted BY less uniform deposit Of loose
diuvial sand, compound not essentially differing from
the material the mountains are constituted Of 50 We
may call without hesitation the debris OF the adjacent
mountains and the underlying nTmer parts OF the land
placed to its present appearance we firmly believe TO
be the residue OF once into rmediste ocean at the time
link combining the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans
Changes in the composition of this deposit certainly
occur but they appear more Of local nature and GER
quartz, mica fespar, and other crystalline and iyne-
rocks, together with cacareous PARTICLES combine
this almost unbounded stratum forming vast region OF
eras and the table lands bordering the eastern shore OF
the Rio Bravo del Sorte 80 we look At IS upon dusa
dykes and reefs, which we know as those mountain
DANCES already menuoned
lated beds pebbles visible the character Of which
to the lthologic features OF those mountain
parts whence they derived These pebbles, however
appearing occasionally right the centre of those desert
basins, especially along certain water beds, which at
Be he dry channels through which sometimes
currents pass Off Pebble beds OF the rrst mentioned
csss are the resu of the dn,egsng forces OF the air
mo he OF
the place where they origin tted, whilst those OF the
es aee% . he 0e uos Ssreus pieces
from the diverse and often very remote geoeraph
cal quarters wide spreading medium must have col
We dnd the sand loose pieces Of limestone OF different
geological age there for instance represented the
fresh water i,ne We also ind sesth chalcedouy OPAL
seuopai jasper, states, and all sorts OF sihcous or
scaea FORMS ereeeas consomeraes, eIysiAnne an ana
asa;nized opazed fragments OF wood side By side
with mere incrusatons Of wood either metamor phose1
unchanged and quite OF late date On another spot
may observe semi opal, consisting entirely OF shells
the age OF which readily recognized by NJ
| merous munultes associated with them With IN,
Their hand may take up sn agath abosnding IN III
eaiest fragments OF encrnitc or corallne FORM willis
foot viii touch piece Of Jasper hornstone, rpcr
which by means Of a common lent glass, texture ar
| rain Of rome conferous wood can be discovered. NO
ncommon are also large fragments OF wood opal ex
biting or the structure OF fossil wood with ann
concenric rings though with the marks OF gran
anished away; also glass opa, or hyalith containing
rher unchanged or meiamorphic, as indicating the
| makirg OF a toadstone.
he ella abound such pebble beds, surrounded by III !,
anne above described Uniform sand by which they be
ONE occasionally entirely buried or rom nnder whlcn
they redeemed again by the play Of the sria cur
l rents.
For the scientific observer fragments Or the mentioned
chaiscter the pearls Of this vast terrestrial
which oDce have formed the bottom OF aqueous
WASTE Of the dimensions, and under the sway Of
which these pebble beds must have been collected Since
the waters have raceded from this another
Q more subtle character sweeps over IT, Now the erla
curren,s driving the shifting sand about the
currents Of the have done. Al present only
local alterations take place on these plains. moving the
sand about from one place 70 another. The level Of these
deserts must undoubtedly have been disturbed siace
their deposition. Besides tie general decnaon OF the
western slope Of the Sierra Madre towards the Gulf q
California, ar increased cecfDaton Of stratum IS percep
tibie round the base Of he ntersecGng mountains.
These devious form the angle Of general ascent from
the Colorado towards the Sierra del Psarto, respective
the Sierra M DIRE do not AFFECT tie angie n Inclination
the mainland and We may ascr.be them solely 70 the
deposition OF debris from the mountains. The ang''
formed by the rising OF the duvial tepoen and tho
horizontal base Of the mountains In the santa Cruz river
valley was measured TO be .~2,5o.
Tie general accent OF country 10 more essential proo
Of the upbea Of country the deposition o. the
quaernsry duviai drift line drawn upon IL plane
ron the valley OF the colorado 70 thai pon. on tie
or the Sierra del Pa aro, where duval deposits
that ~ about loo feet below the highest por OF eeva
ton u sad Sierra rises 20 abort 900 eet-tna H. 2sa
| feet 70 one uaile, or 0.23 100.
Some valleys may exist, heading on the slopes Of the
Sierra del Pssro through which diluvia deposits s
4
general ascent n this stratum The relative and absolute
1 elevation 10 which his diuval main rises In is ap
pro&ch N the Sierra Maerc forms strsn PECULIARLY IN
the features Il TIE country. With a gradual ascent
furnshes natural bridge smost over the entire height
Of those rocky mountains the rugged crcsx and sum
mis Of which otherwise would have remained naccessi
| Bile whilst Offering, however, such advantage, II
rfers otherwise very serious evils, by covering Ike
thck VEL oil that port OF country which for " leve
cbaraier, at least very little inclined plane shod
form the proper fed for those higher faculties II
by which The latter promotes the cevelcpement Of
table and subsequently, Of animal ife Instead OF that 4
lies PROSTATE, geological ssyphoe IA viog water ri
its tsss and seeing treasured clouds without being
abe 10 receive and s2prze the beneat Of either Even
tboee few rams which fall upon an instantly swallowed
~ by the botioles sane leaving no traces o. having
done some good.
The e~ period cal ~sier streams descending from the
| mognAln slopes share tho same fate with the scanty
gatherings Of the clouds falling upon this driftand I'm
meds;ely after reaching they disappear TIE
iace spknr 70 unknown depths leaving only the vic
nry Of the mountains but eli Oh; marks OF rud meuary
drainage no punches q shrpbbery and ecs which
der The dry water beds Of the comfy Thrs the bless
ns Of water lost upon these pans IN trusted aims
4 ftnhf r.ockoi ofs urxr he'll