San Andreas independent., 1860-08-11
SCENES IN SONORA.

The following are the concluding sketches scenes
in Sonora, Lower California and Arizona written by M.
DAumaie, and published from time to time during the
past year in the columns of the Bulletin from which
journal the INDEPENDENT republished many of the most
interesting scenes. We esteem NJ. D'Aumae, with
out exception, the most elegant and accomplished es-
crptive writer whose correspondence has vet enriched
Che columns Of California newspaper and we learn
with that these sketches his last on subject
which s vigorous and versatile pen has made deeply
interesting
Town OF SoSoITA.- Sonoita is a small village known
To Americans as having been the locality where four
who had detached themselves from Crabbs party were
killed by the Mexcsns the of 1851 Consid
cradle discussion has arisen to the fact of Dunbars
store the scene Of the affair." being upon the Mexican
side OF the line After examining the site Ut tile build
ing have little doubt but that such is the fact The
town has been chiefly supported by nposiions pass
ing travellers, the Arizona rade-now dwinded to moth
as Arizona" some IL leagues to the eastward.
PIIEsTCRAFT AMONG THE PAPAGo INDIANS To their
gods the Papagos institute eass and dances and perform
in their honor various soemnties to which the uninitia
ted are not allowed to penetrate The whole mystery is
in the hands of three men, chosen from the elder of
tribe who the guardians of the sacred ark concealed
with scrupulous from the of the vulgar except
during the first day of the festivities when it is brought
forth to receive the offerings of the multitude which
supposed to be exclusively applied to the service of the
deities As the holy trio eaousy guard the treasure
and render account to of their Stewardship, we
may well suspect their honesty SO these cunning old
manage to draw easy livelihood from the creduity of
the vulgar mob.
nos have so great horror of shedding blood in
or self defense. that when tribe has slain an
Apache in battle, he is banished from the wigwam
distant and solitary spot for fortnight during which he
receives trifing amount of sustenance and scanty
supply of water daily at the hands of the oldest man in
the village. At the expiration of the probationary term
the homicide is reconducted to the settlement by the
medicine men with much formaiity; the poor DEVIL
gaun wthered more dead than alive from hunger and
hPda dyyith and
with his nearest relatives in the of a circle COM
posed Of all the old gaers and erones of Papago Iand
Twenty -four hours aiterwad, during which all fast and
the srietest silence is maintained, the medicine
rise, pour an immense number of elias of cold
the beads of the cup and his friends the ceremonies
are over and the anslayer is received once into
communion. free from the stain of blood d-guiltiness
| PINAOATA-THE GREAT DESERT From Sonoita to
Quitovaquita five leagues to the northward the road
good and the country adapted to grazing, but thence 20
leagues further to the gulf all is howng wilderness
Fancy to yourself all you have heard of the shift
ing sands OF the DESERT the great dunes of the Eng
lish coast reproduced colossal SCALE while
over all towers the vast volcanic of the extinct
ter of Pinacate, which, from its eghty-seven mouths
(Humbodt gives it ninety FOUR has poured destruction
over hundreds of miles of cOuntrycoor the picture as
highly as you will will yet fall far short of the reality
over this ackess waste guide led with unerring
STEP begung the time with strange traditions and wild
legends Of his ancestry Ginning well with the esoation
around The ground is crossed by innumerabe lava
streams, fresh and sharp if cooled but yesterday
though thousands of years have perhaps passed by
their production. while piled up each hand vast
stones, strangely intermxed with metaphorc rocks in
every stage of transition. The temptation tie geolo
gst was great but dared not halt to view at lei
sure curious cavern of gigantic dimensions, said to
communicate with the and strewn with the rude Of
fengs of the votaries Of the Papago faith The failing
state OF mules warned hurry to reach that
water which alone would be their and salvation In
these boundess and arid wastes the silence of desoaton
perpeuay regns tree is except here and there
Struggling stunted mezquite the vegetation limited
to the fetid hod0nda, the monotonous aremsia, the
saeornis annua and other alkaline plants; solitary
Taoon loney quail or an occasional rattesnake, give
the only evidence OF animal life, while the coyote the
vuure and the carrion avoid them spot under
ban. The mules hoofs sink deep they toll wearily
over the treacherous sand crash through the decefu
saline crust which the surface the glaes red
and urd through the driving seet and his rays rever
berate in the sand-swirs like the focus of burning
glass; while above all and pitiless the peak
of Pinacate black and grimy from the heIl-fres which
have lett its sides rifted and lava-seamcd-he very in
carnation in stone of Gods judgment against an impen
itent world.
The writer gives the following description of his re-
turn trip across the desert from the Soda Lakes to the
Gilal:
"We rode out Of the Aqua Duce at o'clock in the af
ternoon, and passed just at the outset ghasy guide
post portion of human being suspended in bush by
the way-side, the remains of old who persisted
here almost in sight of water in 1884 Graves and bones
of frequent occurrence and as the moon rose the
sad wall OF the mourning dove struck cold chill to
heart
Ats, A. NJ of the 4th. [Julyl. we halted for an hour
to rest the horses opposite the Cerro Pinto called from
the many bold shades of color presents and guide
pointing to distant peak far down the dim horizon,
claimed Joyiuy, That is the CabeZA Preta from there
it is only 80 miles to waterl" Before 10 oppo
site the peak and halted long enough to breakfast and
select few of the curious stones which make this re-
gon treasury FOR the nineraogst and geologist and
then pushed again through the thcky mashalled
hills 'S'''
From here the real struggle began First we gaop-
ped then the galop subsidized to canter then to
ry, Jaded trot which soon in turn became walk. and
the poor beasts half demented with thirst and
ton rolled from side to side like drunken andsnan on
shiphosrd The walk at last became longer possible,
but we must on Dismounting, and dragging the
willing beasts behind us, through the blazing sun,
long leagues of scorchng sand past the wrecks of
and wagons, past the bones OF countless animals who
had sunk anc died there past the grnning skull and tat
tered rags that deck the dsointed skeleton of the old
Capuchn, who persisted with water within his grasp
long years ago. and whom his comrades and his
wants had suspended in that withered mezquite without
benson of priest rite of Christian burial noun
tain spur and through sandy valey-onward, forward
for our lives on on, on-til at last, thank God sank
ainting the bank beside the clear of La Poza
RESOURCES AND PoLITICs OF SONORA Having attain
ed the object OF my visit my travels in Sonora for the
present at least are ended During the fifteen months
devoted to that purpose have penetrated every section
OF that interesting Statefrom the mountain chains of
the great Sierra to the deserts of the Gulfrom the
broad savannas Of the Yaqu to the forbiddng sahara
that borders the American frontier have think de-
mOnstraed that Sonora presents field for the Judi
cious and profitable investment Of capital; but it will,
suppose, be equally manifest that such investments can
only be made at present to certain extent and in
tain manner, without ncurring riskamounting almost
to certainty of loss
Gifts political condition sorry to be unable to say
Woru OF praise L lett Sonora found IL, in the
midst OF revolution bankrupt in purse and credit with
nominaliy constitutional government, and man of
considerable ability practically rresponsble-at the
helm OF State How she will emerge from the struggle,
what her future is destined to be- God only knows J.!
Astounding in natural her people STEPPED
in poverty, her commerce has dwindled nothing and
her manufactures paralyzed; with people natural
ly quiet and doce the cloud revolution is for
blackening her political horizon her best friends
and her most intelligent children have lost all hope of her
regeneration, and only few characteress demagogues
whose trade is agitation pretend to be able their
II way clear to the haven.
4 Political Iasguasition. -" Occasional, in
Forneys Press says-"Spes set upon all men North
and South who suspected of sympathising with Mr..
Douglas Immense sums of money are spent In tele-
graphing to the different States for information word
has been issued that shall be spared by those
who cooperating with Breckenridge in giving prompt
notice of any detection among the officials"
| Breckenridge before HIS Nomination. ~ For
neys Press says" Prior demonstration
at Baltimore and after the Charleston bolt Mr.. Vice
President Breckenridge in the habit of assuring the
Douglas in Washington, that he intended to take
the stump in every Northwestern State for Douglas
The Schoolnaster Abroad. - The Mariposa
Star says that the following notice. VERBATIM has been
posted up at ferry in Stanisaus county: "Notis is
heareby given tha Shal aPly at the nexe reger tum OF
the Borde of Supaveses of Sansh Couney fore sons
told ferre bote across the Stanishau river at
pnte James ferry this the 10 day of June 1860
Bell and Douglas Partnership in Georgia
T-l..0