The weekly Arizonian., 1859-04-07
The Gila River Country.

As soon as it is ascertained that the Pinal Apaches will offer no opposition to white men visiting their country, exploring parties will be organized to visit the unknown regions of the Gi- Ia and tributaries the streams that flow from the Pinal and White mountains, where it is be- lieved there are as rich gold fields as have ever been discovered on this continent Several parties in attempting to prospect this region have been driven away by the savages who manifest the gre.tcst antipathy to the whites becoming acquainted with the mineral wealth of the country Abundant traditions, rumors, and tales are extant concerning the quartz gold mines, and the wonderful washing" Fon the upper waters of the Gila, on Black river, and in the gulches of the White mountains That the Indians bring gold from that country is cer- tain. They have sold it to many persons in this Ter:it)ry, and have never -denied that they knew where it existed in abundance, but invari ably refuse to disclose the locality. Far be i from Us to cocourage any reckless adventure into a country aboun ling in dangers and hard ships of the most formidable description, bu we hope the davis at hand when some of oul bold aud hardy pioneers will push their explo rations into that mysterious region and lay it. secrets open to the hands of labor and enter prise.
 Those who explore the Gila may calculat, upon no easy conquest. They will need to br virilant, hardy, untring and braye-venturin; .I oHL III and thirst, the extremes of heat and cold, poS onous reptiles and stinging insects to enviro them at every step still if any confidence ca be placed in the conclusions of geologiGts, tn stories of hunters, and the statements of In dians themselves who inhAbit the country-th reward for patient, thorough, and careful ex plora.ion will be very great, We give feV extracts from notes on the character of tn country in the vicinity of the Colorado and G la made several years since by officers of tn U. $ army; scant as this information is, it wi be interesting
 We descended into the broad valley of tn Gila, rkirted on the south side of the tabl land, black with bassat pebbles, resting on stratum of the carbonate of lime, upon whic the river impnged at every food and widene the valley, Wherever we mounted to the tabl lands to cut off bend in the river, we foun them dreary beyond description. Now an then a single acacia raised it's solitary form an displayed it's verdure in the black expanse
 Inc river bottoms are wide, rich, and thicl ly overgrown with willow and tall aromati weed, and alive with flights of white bran (wings tipped with black,) geese, and duck with many signs of beaver and deer
 We found remains of old acequias, and tt plains covered with broken pottery. We als found several varieties of ses-shells, probab brought by the Maricopas who came from u seI-cosst, originally.
 After making ten miles we came to ad creek coming from plain reaching far to u south The table land was strewed with fra ments of black bassalt, nterspersed with agat vitriGed quartz and carbonate of lime. Apo the summit was mound of granite boulder blackened by augite, and covered with unknov characters, the work of human hands The