The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-01-28
Tlle Gntpuria seus.
SATURDAY, JANUARY es, 1860.
Interesting Facts-Large Salt Water
Lake or Bay in Lower California

IL Is not generally known tnat great "a
gupo, or, as it is termed, an lDiana sea-
exists in Lower California. Though few
natives and Indians have always been aware
of the fact, it evidently is unknown to ge-
opraphers, for in no published maps, from
the earliest period down to the present time,
!. is any such body of water laid down. That
the lake exists there can be no question, as
is evidenced by whaling captains now in
port In length it reaches from latitude
26 deg's 40 min. to 90 dogs min, or
something less than one hundred miles, and
/, in width extends from twenty to fifty miles,
! giving it an irregular shape. One of our
informants, Mr.. Selim D. Woodwork, who
has recently returned from that locality,
gives US some interesting details of this
lake or bay.
DISCOVERY OF THE LAKE.
z. This body of water was first discovered,
for all practical purposes, by Capt. Seamon,
of the whaling ship Ocean Bird, of this
port, who entered it three years ago. and
quickly filled ny his ship there. He found
the waters of this sea. as he termed it,
Astounding in whales, the females resorting
thither between December and April to
calve. He kept the discovery secret, and
on the following season went there again,
returning with the same success, and ex-
citing the wonder of his compeers in the
whaling business at his wonderful luck.
At last his mate, who had brother COM
manding a whaler in the northern seas,
wrote to the latter at the Sandwich Islands,
informing him of the fact, and the news
thus getting abroad, eighteen whalers came
over from Honolulu last season, and some
succeeded in effecting an entrance. Others
11nahlo tn 10 To tho
cy of the channel. Ship Black Warrior
was lost in the attempt, and after that part
g of the fleet getting scared at the place, left
and never returned. Those that entered,
however, last season, got well repaid for
their enterprise, and the Ocean Bird, par
tieularly, made another good thing out of
it. The news is now thoroughly circulated
among the whalers at Honolulu. and in a
short time there will be over fifty vessels on
the way there.
THE CHANNEL, BAR AND WHALE FISHERY.
The channel lies some distance north of
the 9th parallel of latitude, or below the
southern end of Cedros Island. The land
is low and sandy, and covered with stunted
shrubbery, which, however, is invisible
some distance at sea. The sea breaks heav-
lily in bad weather, two miles out, and CIV
ing to this, and the fact that the CT annel is
crooked, the approach is difficult and dan
gerous for those who are not acquainted.
At high tide three fathoms water can be
carried in, but only twelve feet at low tide.
For this reason only small ships should
venture to cross the bar, which assumes to
strangers very formidable appearance
After crossing the bar the water deepens
to five, and soon after, to seven fathoms,
which depth is found in nearly every part.
The entrance is between low sand pits, not
more than thousand yards apart. From
this the lake opens at once, and presents
broad and fine looking expanse of water.
It abounds in seal and whale. Our inform
ant, in speaking of the latter, remarked
"that the place was alive with them" 1t
is not likely that they will prove so abun
dant after the approaching whaling fleet
have killed off the cow whales, and driven
them away from their ancient haunt. The
Mexican Government, quick to profit by
the enterprise and industry of others, have
already established an agent there, who ex-
acts tonnage dues from all vessels entering
for whaling purposes. The waters being
generally smooth, the fisheries are pursued
with ease and success.
$50 ISCoxERY- OF VALUABLE GUANo ISLANDS.
Other valuable resources have been dis
covered in this lake. In it are five islands,
situated toward the western border, two of
which are found to contain immense depos-
its of guano, and more or less exists on all
the others. The largest island is about
three miles long by mile in width, and on
this alone it is estimated that there are up
wards of two hundred thousand tons of qua
no. Specimens of this were brought here
by Captain Scammon, who came up on the
last trip of the steamer Senator. It proves
to be precisely the same as that found on
Eide Islano. being seal and bird deposits.
In fact, all the guano found along the coast
IS of the same quality.
GREAT DEPOSITS OF sALT-MINERAL WEALTH.
Still another resource has been discover
ed. Immense deposits of salt exist all
along the margins of the lake, produced by
the process of evaporation, which has been
going on for ages. A Mexican has secured
from the Government the exclusive right to
work aud export this, and he had, at the
last accounts, several schooner loads ready
for shipment. These salt deposits are of
infinite extent, and exist in all directions
around the borders of the lake. There are
also evidences of great mineral wealth in
the highlands.
SCENERY AND INHABITANTS.
The scenery is mountainous and dreary
Low, stunted sbaubbery and sand are all
that can be seen in any direction, except to
the eastward, where the island mountains
come down to within a few miles of the
margin. These mountains appear to be lof-
ty, and are clothed with pine and cedar,
such as are found in Upper California. On
~ q lew scattered Observation-Disclosures
are found. No fresh water exists within
many miles of the ocean, except at the old
deserted missions OF San Ignacio. immedi-
ately back of Turtle Bay AZ the former
place there are FIVE Indians, but no Mexi-
cans and at the latter station about as ,nnnn