The Nevada Democrat. [volume] (Nevada, Calif.) 1854-1863, 1860-08-15

Five leagues TO the northward Of Sonoita. 9
Mexican border town on the line OF Sonora and
New Mexico, commences . desert which ex'
tends for twenty leagues to the Gulf Of Califor.
MIA. A correspondent Of the Bulletin thus de-
scribesi IL:
Fancy to yourself all you have seen or read
OF The shifting sands Of the desert, or the great
dunes of the English cosst reproduced on q
more colossal scale, while over all towers the
vast volcanic cone Of the extinct crater Of Pin
AGATE, which, from its eighty-seven mouths,
(Humbodt gives 10 ninety .four.) has poured
destruction over hundreds Of miles Of country
color the pictures as highly as you will, It falls
far short Of the reality. Over this trackless
waste our guide led US with unerring step, be-
quilting the time with strange traditions and
wilder legends Of his ancestry, Ginning well
with the desolatlon around ua The ground Is
crossed by innumerable streams OF lava, fresh
aud sharp as II cooled but yesterday, though
thousands of years have perhaps passed By
since their production, while piled up on each
hand are vast blocks Of scoriA, pumice. obsd-
ian and other volcanic stones strangely inter-
mixed With metamorphic rocks Of every stage
Of transition. The temptation to the geoiogist
was great, but we dared not stop even to view
at leisure q curious cavern, Of gigantic dimen-
sions. said TO communicate with the sea, and
strewn With the rude offerings Of the votaries
Of the Papago faith. The falling state Of our
mules warned Us to hurry on to reach that wa
ter which alone would be their and our saliva
ton. In these boundless arid wastes, the 81
leuce of desolstion perpetually reigns; no tree
is seen except here aud there Q struggling.
stuuted meEquite; the vegetation Is limited to
the fetid hediondilla, the monotonous artcmisia,
the salicorms annua and other alkaline plants;
a solitary rabbit, q lonely quail, or an occa-
sional rattiesnake, give the only evidence OF
animal lite, while the cayots, the vulture aud
the carion-crow avoid them as 8 spot under ban.
The mules boots sink deep as they toll wearily
over the treacherous sand or crash through the
deceitiul saliue crust which covers the surfaces;
the sun glares red and lurid through the driving
sleet, ant his rays reverberate In the rand.
swirls like 10 the focus Of burning while
above all, stern aud pitiless, towers the peak OF
Pinacste, black and grimy from the hell fires
which have LEFT Its sides rifted aud lava-seamed
the very incarnation In stone OF Gods Judg-
ments against an impenitent world.
The steppes OF the Pinacate are rarely visit
ed by civilized beings. and was told that none
he'd penetrated to the crater, as the Papagos
Obstinately refuse to act a. guides, under the
impr, ssion that some evil would inevitably be-
fall them. The great gulf OF the crater is inti-
mately connected with all their supersttions
MScteznma. whom they identify with the Sun
aud the Spirit Of Evil, ,neft them, they say. thou
sands Of moons ago. with an injunction to
await his return, and descended into the central
abyss. The moon, or good goddess, formerly
his spouse, has her seat 10 the Sierra Blaucha,
n mountain chain TO the westward; and these
di, inities, like many q mundane pair, are en-
gagged 10 constant conflict