The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-12

ten miles In length overlapping each other with broad
defilcs or open spaces between afording easy pas.
sages through &c We travelled, with loaded
wagons more than thirty miles day across this district
without locking their wheels this, too where
there was road. Every mountain range was passed
through without difficulty and, in some instances, so
gradual the ascent and descent as to be scarcely per
oeptible." 49, $500. 49,
Ii will thus appear that this entire district, from the
Rio Grande to the Colorado with its broad OPEN gravel
y plains is admirably adapted for either great wagon
road railway From Tucson 10 the ella is desert
Of ninety miles without water This desert Is as hard as
marble and perfectly level Midway, at the Poacho Is
depression where water Is often found and where it
would be advisable TO sink wells Twelve miles south OF
the ella similar cavities.
At the Pmo villages, on the ella Is fine agricultural
district consisting Of plain than twenty miles in
length by four in width which for ages has been
cultivated by the semciyilized Indians Immediately
TO the north of this is another large and excellent ag
cultural district bordering the Salinas which enters
the ella seven miles below the Pmo villages This river
is much larger than the ella. traced its for
about forty miles and found its bottom lands ntersected
in all directions by ancient rrgating canals while the
numerous tumuli, mounds, and crumbng edifces of a
passed show that 10 sustained large
population.
The ella would be followed by road for about one
hundred and eighty miles to Fort Yuma at the junction
with the Colorado chiefly the adjacent plateau which
is hard and level The bottom varies in width, and in
many places bears heavy growth Of cottonwood The
Colorado which is crossed by ferries might easily be
bridged Here again, is wide valley bottom stis
ceptible of high degree of cultivation. This too is
marked by the remains of rrgatng canals first dug by
the aboriginal tribes and subsequently, by the old Span
ards, who had a mission here.
We reach the California desert about hundred
miles This is very hard and level with OCCASION
al spots of sand IL is entirely destitute OF wood and
nearly of grass Water in the dry only to be
obtained by digging This is found at Cookies wells,
Alamo Mucho, and Sacketts wells By sinking large
wells ii could doubtless be found In any quantity desra
bic In when the Colorado overows its banks,
its waters fill large basins in the desert where it some
times remains two three years before ii is entirely alb
sorbed by the sands evaporated by the Carisa
creek small stream, which, after flowing few miles,
is lost in the sands furnished water in the drest
From this point to San Diego there is not only water at
convenient distances, but an abundance of grass.
The route here described from eastern Texas is taken
by numbers of emigrant trains except that portion of it
from the Rio Grande to the Santa Cruz valley which,
til the boundary commission followed it, unknown.
The emgrants took Cookies road, which hundred
miles longer On my return from California met emf
grant parties every day after leaving the Gla and in
instance drove of II 900 sheep all bound for San Fran
cisco.
AS these remarks have already been too much extend
ed forbear mentioning other and minute particu
lars of the advantages which may be claimed for the
southern route From what has been stated it is evident
that the region which it is to pass not the paradise
which have claimed ort but poor it is in many
respects it infinitely better and presents advan-
tages for great national highway than yet discovered
to California