The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-01-30

Narrative of Lieut.. Beale's Wagon ItOa
Expedition from Fort Defiance To th
Colorado River.
We present our readers, this morning
with an outline narrative of Lieut.. Beale
exploration of the southern wagon route, Ia
ken from the note book of Mr.. j. II. Porter
attached to the scientific corps Of the expe
dition. Lieut.. Beale arrived here on Thurs
day, from Los Angeles. The object of tn
expedition (Which is just completely a.
specified in the written instructions Of tn
Secretary Of War, was to proceed from Phil
adelphia to Indianola Texas, where the cam
els had been landed from the storeship Sup
ply, Lieut., David Porter, and from thence tt
proceed to Fort Defiance, in New Mexico
near Santa Fe, and from that place to com
mence the survey of the Wagon road thro
! to the Colorado river, near the supposed
mouth of the Mojave.
ARRIVAL AT SAN ANTONIO.
I Lieut.. f. T. Beale and his party arrived al
San Autonio on the 18th of June. From
San Antonio they proceeded to Camp Verde
on the Verde river, where the camels had
been conveyed, to await his requisition and
that of Capt Pope, of the United States To-
biographical Engineers, who had been depu-
ted by Government TO construct artesian
wells upon the Pecos, in Texas He select
ed twenty-th out of the ninety camels at
that place. and three dromedaries. Togeth-
er with the animals were two Greeks, Q
Turk and two Arabs, who left him at San
Antonio, being desirous of returning home.
TIE START.
The party left San Antonio on the 25th
Of June; the csmels packed with large por
ton OF the grain for ten teams of mules
The touius, or regular pack camels, Of which
there we're seven, are capable of carrying n
load OF one thousand pounds. Ttey passed
over the Old wagon road extending some
seven hundred miles between San Antonio
and FL Paso. The principal stopping pla-
ces on the route were Leon Springs, the
Hondo. the Carnanchique, Fort Clark, Rio
San Felipe, Rio San Felipe, Rio San Pedro,
or Devils River, Camp Lancaster, the Pc
COS, Escandido ) prings Spring., Leon Springs
B4rela Springs, Fort Davis, ilro Springs,
and reached the Rio Grande on the 22d Ju-
". The expedition followed the road lead
ing through the valley of this stream, along
fertile and well watered country, and az
fording sustenance TO hundreds ofthousands
Of sheep. Tney passed Fl Paso a few miles
to the southwark, and reached Albuquerque
on the lO,h Of August.
THE CAMELs.
The Camels pertormed this journey be-
tween San Antonio aud Aibequerque-a dis
tance of not less than thousand miles, in
which there Vas considerable space to be
passed devoid OF water or grass-without
IN single instance, exhibiting any signs of
OF fatigue or distress, or showing any signs
OF thirst. They kept pace easily with the
teams, at an average rate Of four miles an
hour, though, when required, this rate could
have been doubled without their suGrrin
the least Inconvenience.
ALBUQUERQUE.
Albuquerque is a primitive Mexican town,
built Of adobes, and is the depot Of the
troops of that quarter, 1t is the centre OF
the guppies for the L. s forts in that sec
ton lis population is about G,000. The
expedition was cordially and Hospitality re
ceived at every s;oPPiSG place. The violni-
ty is entirely destitute of grass
THE ROUTE THROUGH NEw MEXICO.
Leaving some OF the wagons which bad
become unnecessary to transport the bag
gage, the expedition crossed the Rio Grande
and turned towards the Colorado. They
crossed the dgy bed OF the little Puerto, and
Paocgelcd on the road lying within sight of
the river aud among the mountain spars ex.
ei through the pueblo Of LagQna, inhabited
Ly mixed population Of Indians and New
MeXicans They were now travelling upon
Coronrdo's Ioute-who, in 1880, passed
through this country, the first explorer OF
New Mexico. Continuing upon the road to
the new town Of Zuni, situated about eight
miles from the aboriginal ruins of that name,
they passed through the Rio Frio. running
through 4 remark able volcanic basin, OF an
cient formation. They waited, upon the
piScado, the arrival of Colonel Loring, who
vas returning with his command, from the
ella. While the expedition was proceeding
to Zuni, 1t. Beale, in company with Col.
LORNA, made a q tour towards the north
ward, in the Navajo country, to Fort Def
ance, distance of ninety miles, to procure
an escort of [. s. troops, for which he had
an order from the Secretary Of War.
EHE INSCRIPTION ROCK.
Passing over this country, which Mr.
Porter considers the most beautiful he ever
traversed, aud covered with almost interim
nable forests of noble and lofty pine tr es,
they arrived on the 24th of August, at El |
Moro, or the Inscription Rock. This re-
markab natural formation merits partic !
ular description. Emerging from the forest
which skirts the bases OF the back of
the Western Continent, without any previ- |
Gus indication OF its existence, and in the 1
midst Of an almost exclusively volcanic |
country, smooth wall of white sandstone (
ises from the grassy plain which spreads
away from its base, to an altitude Of thou /
sand feet. At its southeastern base is the |
spring known as the FL Moro. 1t is wedge |
shaped, and its summit Is crowned by an an |
cient aboriginal fortress evidently the work |
Of the same artiZans, whose tumuli are yisi- |
ble from Peru TO Wisconsin. Sioping from |
the Southwest is an artificial plateau, leading |
to the Western entrance ct the mountains, |
which forms . natural corral, capable OF nfl- |
iin at least five thousand head of animals, |
and entirely impregnable except by a very |
narrow passage, easily defended and partial |
" fortified I'm this corral grow the loftiest |
pine trees, whose heads are far below the |
crest OF the rock which towers abeve them. |
The party from this paint proceeded within |
twelve miles of Zun, where they encamped,
and awaited Mr.. Beales arrival from Fort
Defiance.
THE ROUTE FROM Ell MORO.
Tie arrived on the 2Sth, with his escort, |
and aft n treating with the Indians for corn |
they startee upon Whipple's trail, and en-
camped upon plain covered with splendid |
gamma grass. The expedition from this
camping place, passed over a comparatively |
level country, well watered, and abounding |
in fine grass. Ranges Of mountains, Of vol
canic origen, were visible in all directions,
some of them capped with snow. The
feature is the prevailing topO-
yraphy between Zuni and Colorado. They |
came in sight of the Colorado Chiquito on
the 4th Of September; on the 9th, they |
crossed without difficulty. The river is
very winding, narrow and muddy stream
At the ford there were only four feet water.
The camels FROM the first made the marches
without fatigue or tlaaging. They contin-
ued their course ON the parallel of Sc de-
grees finding excellent water at convenient |