The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-12-02
The Exploration Of Lower California.

The Exploration OF Lower CALIFORNIA
An PEDrTI AMI IT'S EXPERIENCE.
A curious little journal, about twelve
inches by six in size, and imperfectly
printed-one page in English and the next
in Spanish-comes to us by the last Cali
fornia mail. 1t is entitled the Lower Cali
iornian, and is published at Magdalena
Bay. The issue for October 18th contains
the following synopsis:
The expedition fitted out for the EXAM
nation and colonization of the lands of
the Lower California Company, which
sailed for San Francisco on August 1, pro-
ceeded to the bay of Todos Santos, now
known as Port Juarez, and after examin-
ing the harbor and the valuable adjacent
lands of San Antonio, sailed for Cape Col
nett, where surveys were made of some of
the fertile valleys upon and near Colnett
Bay.
Thence to the land locked bay of San
Quentin, with it's valuable salt works, pro-
ducing now one thousand tons of the
finest salt Of the Pacific coast, and capa-
bic, with some outlay, OF producing five to
ten thousand tons.
"Thence to the roadstesd of Play Maria,
the guano island of Eide. the Clio de Lie
bre, or Scammon's Lagoon. whence can
be taken, at a trifing cost, salt to supply
the Pacific coast-past Cerros Island and
its lofty peaks, rich in minerals, TO the
quiet harbor of San Bartholomew, known
to whalers rs Turtle Bay. Thence,
after short s%ojoufn, TO the superb bay OF
Magdalena, where, finding every requi-
site for q great commercial port and
city-a spacious and accessible hsrbor,
deep water and sheltered anchor
age, over five hundred miles of inland
steamboat navigation, draining the most
fertile lands-a climate u~nequalled in the
world, every nook and inlet swarming with
delicious fish and turtles, a district Of
country capable of sustaining, with its ad'
jacent mineral and other sources, a popu'
lation of two or three millions of people,
it is determined to commence the nucleus
of the colonization of the southern por.
ton of the vast properties OF the com
pany.
Materials, tools, lumber, and all things
necessary, are soon landed and roads cut
through the dense underground covering
the sandy hills, which for a hundred miles
fringe the bay, and extend back from five
to six miles to the plains or prairie.
''These yerdant plains sweep back Il
the Sierras some fifty to se~venty-fve miles
| kCAtAI AoAhEr nAA A0a hC14AJ AnAA 4
the bay and its estuaries some two hun
bred or three hundred miles, fiat as q bill
lard table and covered with fine swee
grass. Over them troop herds of Wild cat
tie, horses, deer and antelope.
'aOn the edge of this plain it is deemed
best to commence boring artesian wells
and soon Yankee energy has houses built
a store, q school house for the natives anC
a printing Office, derricks rear their aWk
ward frames, and ere long the squeakin,
pulleys and grinding augers tell the aston
ished native that the first well of Lowe
California is being bored.
1.-THE first fortnight no human being i
seen, then come in from long distances tn
people of the country with horses, mule
and COWS and beef for sale, and welcom,
as brothers the Americans.
From the bay a sweep of the sein
gives a boat load of delicious fsh-mul
Let, Spanish mackerel, perch, ssrdines, &c
Another cast. and half a dozen green tur
ties of much succulency are gathered in
Then Nimrod Adams packs in a couple o
antelopes, and the jolly captain bring
home Chinaman load of fat curlew from
the fresh water ponds of the Llanos-for
ty-ive, with two barrels, my boy
Meanwhile surveys 60 on and maps ar
made by the company's able engineer, o
farms and village sites, and the protected
city OF Cortez-named after the gres
conqueror of Mexico and ~discoverer, il
1884. of Lower California.
'On the opposite side Of the great bs,
the officers of the flagship Ossippee max
scientific surveys and yerifications of MAJ
o. War Cove which, with its sheltered
anchorage. fine holding ground, dry docl
and coaling advantages, easy cap, 5ility 70
impregnable defence, and perfect accessi
bility under steam and sail. will probabl,
be the principal rendezvous of the vessel
of the United States, and will give to tn,
United States the absolute control of tn,
Pacific ocean.
Gardens are also made. Spading th,
virgin soil and planting every vegetable
and flower of temperate and torrid zone
Corn, two weeks from planting, is a foo
high, and soon the roasting ears will b.
ready.
"And SO all work with high beart anC
courage, confident of the immediate futur,
and thankful to God for being Permits
by Him to be the instruments to inaugur
ate q new era of intelligence, energy an
prosperity in this rich and beautifu
country. SO long crushed by misrule an
abandoned to ignorance and sloth."