Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-01-29
Narrative of Lieut.. Beale.

MareDRO, Ill, Dtc. II, ACo''
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Narrative of Lieut.. Beale.
We present our readers with an outline
Of Lieut. Beale's exploration Of
the southern wagon route, taken from the
note book Of ]. H. Porter, attached to the
scientific corps Of the expedition. Lieut..
Beale arrived here on Thursday, from Los
Angeles The object Of the expedition
as specified in the written instructions OF
the Secretary of War, was to proceed
from Philadelphia to Indianola, Texas,
where the camsls had been landed from
the storcship Supply, Lieut.. Porter, and
from thence to proceed to Fort Defiance,
in New Mexico, near Santa Fe, and from
that place to commence the survey of the
wagon road through to Colorado River,
near the supposed mouth Of the Mojave.
Lieut.. Z. F. Beale and his party left
San Antonio on the 25th Of June, the
camels packed with large portion of the
graiu rUI VI 'e-.-.-. --'--- ".- '---
lus, or regular pack camels, Of which there
we're seven, are capable Of carrying load
of one thousand pounds. They passed
over the old wagon road, extending some
seven hundred miles between San Antonio
and Ell Paso, and reached Alberque on
the 10th Of August.
They arrived, on the Oath Of August,
at Ell Moro, or the Inscription Rock.
This remarkable natural formation merits
a particular description. Emerging from
the forest which skirts the bases of the
backbone of the Western Continent, with
out any previous indication Of its exist
ence, and in the midst of an almost exclu.
sively volcanic country, smooth wall OF
white sandstone rises from the grassy
plain which spreads away from its base,
to an altitude of 1000 feet. At its south
eastern base is the spring known as Ell
Moro. It is wsdge.shaped, and Its sum-
NIT is crowned by an ancient aboriginal
fortress, evidently the work of the same
artisans whose tumuli are visible from
Peru TO Wisconsin.
The expedition reached the Colorado
river on the 10th Of October, having rid
den over the country on either side Of the
route for q considerable distance. At
this place, the camels themselves refuted
some assertions which have been confiden-
tly made of them-that they are unable
70 swim. Lieut.. Beale led one of the
largo toulus to the bank of the river, and
had him driven into the water. As soon
as he found himself out Of his depth, he
struck off without hesitation for the oppo-
site shore, swimming high and with per-
feet ease. The rest Of the train we're
crossed in patches Of FIVE and six; not
one of them, apparently, had the slightest
difficulty in the passage.
Here the travellers found the first san
dy country on their route. The grass was
poor and thin, and water at longer inter-
vals than they had yet found it. They
were enabled, however, to procure a suf-
fcient supply, without any suffering, and
continued their course due west, until
they struck the Mojave rivera distance
of about eighty miles-that is, to where
water appears flowing in the bed Of the
river. This is northern continuation of
the great American Desert Of New Mexico.
The route now followed the Mojavc on
its eastern bank until the party reached
the Mormon road, which they kept, cross
ing the San Bernardiuo Mountains at the
Csjon Pass, and continued the journey
over the we'll known road from San Ber-
nardino to Los Angeles, where they ar
rived on the Goth of November.
The experiment Of the camels and
dromedaries has proved Triumphant. sue
cess. In some instances these wonderful
animals went a week, and in ono, ten
days, without water-not because it did
not exist on the route, but from the lack
of desire for it, and on the tenth day the
animals drank with comparative indiffer-
ence. They eat, as they progress, whatev-
or grows on the wayside, bending their
long necks and thrustiDg their heads alike
into the narrowest crevices for the cactus,
or the stuuted vcrdurc, or cropping the
leaves from the boughs Of the trees, with
out in the least retarding their speed.
Truly they may be called the ships Of the
desert, and, when taken in comparison
with mules, horses or cattle, which re-
quire food almost as regular as maD, they
seem adapted by nature to the novel task
to which our government has now devoted
them.-.San Francisco paper, Dec. l..
The colOring of candies has produced
death in numerous instances known, and
doubtless caused much sickness 1hi,h IS