The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-09-02
,
Charles Tdppdn, Esq, Barbados.

The report of Lieut.. Beale, of his recent ex-
pediticn across the continent, to survey the
route for a wsgon-rosd from Fort Defiance to
the Colorado river, has been printed at Wash
| ington. Only AZ days were occupied in com.
| pleting the survey, and the camels were found
to be admirably adapted to the journey. In the
following paragraphs, Lieut.. Beale gives an in
teresting synopsis of his report:
"a year in the wilderness ended During
this time, l have conducted my party from the
Gulf of Mexico to the shores of the Pacific
ocean, and back again TO the eastern terminus
of the road, through a country for great part
entirely unknown, and inhabited by hostile In
| dams, without the loss of a man. | have test
| ed the value of the camels, marked q new road
to the Pacific, and travelled 1000 miles with
out an accident.
sit is the shortest from our Western frontier
by 800 miles, being nearly directly west. 1t is
the most level, our wagons only double teaming
once IN the entire distance, and that at short
hill, and over surface heretofore unbroken by
wheels or trail of any kind. 1t we'll watered.
our greatest distance without water at any time
being twenty miles. 1t is well timbered. and in
many places the growth is far beyond that of any
part of the world have ever seen. 1t is temper
ate in climate, passing for the most part over an
elevated region. 1t is salubrious, not one of our
party RI curing the slightest medical attendance
from the time of our leaving to our arrival. II
is well grassed, my command never having
made bad-grass camp during the entire dis
lance, until near the Colorado. 1t crosses the
Great Desert which must be crossed by any road
to California; at its narrowest point. 1t passes
through country Astounding in game, and bu
little infested with Indians. On the entire
read, until our arrival at the Mohsve villages
We did not see, in all, over a dozen Indians, anC
LII &c T. A
the point of the crossing of the Colorado, grain
vegetables, and bresdstuffs, may be obtained il
any quantity from the Indians, who cultivst
extensively, though rudely, the fertile bottom
lands OF the Colorado. Ii is passable alike il
. winter and summer. These are the advantage
1 which / claim for the road which we have dis
/. covered, marked, and explored, from New Mex
leo to this State.
!. From the Colorado end to the settlements
!. the country has been surveyed and mapped b
The United States surveyor of this State, which
} apart from the fact that it does not come with
/ III my instructions, leaves me but little to say i
' relation to it. l shall mention, then, only on
important fact, that it leaves to the option of th
. emigrant the choice of entering California e
lher at the city of Los Angeles, by the reguls
. travelled road, in the most fertile part of th
! southern portion of the State, or turning o
from that river, and by an easy road, frequen
. ly travelled, and coming into the head OF tb
: great Tullare Valley, and by good roa.
: through settlements all the way, extending I
stockton, Sacramento, and the more norther
parts Of the State"
J Lieut.. Beale is preparing to leave with BE-
ord party, for the opening of the road, of whic
/ ke has surveyed the route.
Judge Z. N. Wells, of Milwaukee, Wis, WI
b. took an active part in local politics while WI
|. cousin was Territory, serving one term I
E Delegate in Congress, and one as President
e The Council, died on Thurtday of lat wee
] aged 6fty-on