Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-09-22

fats are by no means certain, for the sea
sons are so hoE and dry that without mi
CATION vegetation Withers aud dies. The
only timber consists Of cotton wood trees,
with dense chaPparel of Willows and grease
wood along the water courses. BaekiFOm
the river some twelve miles, and running
parallel with It, is q series Of foot hills
with ranges of lofty mountains extending
line after line beyond as far as the eye eau
follow, until they are lost In the blue dis
lance. These mountain ranges abound in
game, such % mountain sheep, antelope
aud deer. Yet remote as they are from
the white settlements, aud difficult Rnd
dangerous as the travel through them is,
almost every mile Of them from base
to summit has been travelled over, and
thoroughly prospected for mineral by the
gold hunters Of California. Oar party
followed the river down to Fort Mohave, n
Government post on the east side Of the
river at the point where Lieut.. Beale's
emigrant road from Santa Fe 20 Los An
gelOs crosses the Colorado. Some i've
years since q train of emigrauts from Tex
as and Arkansas was attacked at this point
by the Wsllaptes and MOhaye indians and
nearly every man, woman and child per
ished. Subsequently the red skins were
severely punished by the troops at Fort
MohaVe, though the Indians fought brave.
ly and Rrmed only with clubs, they made
nine successive charges upon q hollow
square of soldiers with fixed bayouets,-I
The Indians being brought 70 terms and
compelled TO treat for peace, Fort MohAVe
was abandoned for q time, but on the
breaking out of the war il the East II was
deemed advisable to FeOccuPy il, and two
companies Of California troops were order
ed here and still hold possession of it,
They have had no difficulty as yet with the
Indians, bnt their presence serves as q
wholesome check upon the redskins and
enables the miners 20 prospect in small
parties, which, without the protection Of
the soldiers they could not safely attempt.
Our efforts at prospecting thus far have
been attended with great success. We
number of claims. The rock from
which assays we'll in silver and
copper, and the ore can be delivered
easily on the banks Of the Colorado aud
then shipped by q steamer to San Francis.
CO. In addition 70 the mines / have just
mentiOned, rich and extensive placer miEes
Of gold have been discovered in the Apa-
che country, 200 miles back from the Colo
rado, and hundreds have gone to the dig
giugs. As for myself, feel satisfied with
the silver and copper mines In which am
already interested. II they turn out rich
shall have all that one man is entitled 70;
If they are poor, / have too much already.
So shall not 60 70 the new gold fields,
but wait and ''bide my time" from the
discoveries which have been and are still
being made In this country.
The climate during the entire season is
intOlerably hot, the thermometer ranging
from 80 to 1902 in the shade, and when .
breath of air comes TO you IL is so heated
in passing over the sandy plains and rocky
can0ns, that Il comes 20 you like the
breath of furnace. No snow ever falls
here and NO frosts nip the vegetation. II
is not TO be Wondred at that the natives
are proVerbially indOlent, for the climate
is ennerVating aud totally units person
for mental or physical exertiOn, aud that
must be my excuse for the prOsy dullness
of this hastily written letter.
If anything Of especial note occurs You
may hear again from your New Mexican
correspondent. J. r. McM