Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-12-01

AN EXPEDITION AND 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
fornian, 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 /, pro-
ceeded to the bay of Todos Santos, now
known as Port Juarez, and after examin-
ing the barbor 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 its 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 roadstead of Play Maria,
the guano island of Eide. the Clio de lie
bre, or Scammon's Lagoon, whence can
be taken, at q trifiing cost, salt to supply
its lofty peaks, rich in minerals, to the
quiet harbor of San Bartholomew, known
to whalers as Turtle Bay. Thence,
after short sojourn, 70 the superb bay OF
Magdalens, where, finding every requi-
site for great commercial port and
city-a SPACIOUS and accessible harbor,
deep water and sheltered anchor
age, oven five hundred miles of inland
steamboat navigation, draining the most
fertile lands a climate unequalled in the
world, every nook and inlet swarming with
delicious fish and turtles, district of
country capable of sustaining, with its adj.
jacent mineral and other sources, popu-
latiop 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 hundred miles
fringe the bay, and extend back from five
to six miles to the plains or prairie.
"These verdant plains sweep back to
the Sierras some fifty to seventy-fve miles,
gently rising, and run nearly parallel with
the bay and its estuaries some two hun
dred or three hundred miles, fiat as q bill
lard table and covered with fine sweet
grass. Over them troop herds of wild cat
tie, horses, deer and antelope.
ION the edge of this plain it is deemed
best to commence boring artesian wells,
and socn Yankee energy has houses built,
store. school house for the natives and
a printing Office, derricks rear their awk-
ward frames, and ere long the squeaking
pulleys and grinding augers tell the aston
ished native that the first well of Lower
California is being bored.
"The first fortnight no human being is
seen, then come In from long distances the
people of the country with horses, mules
and COWS and beef for sale, and welcome
as brothers the Americans.
From the bay sweep OF the seine
gives u boat load of delicious fish-mul-
let, Spanish mackerel, perch, sardines, &c.
| Another cast, and half dozen green tur-
ties of much succulency are gathered in.
Then Nimrod Adams packs in a couple of
antelopes, and the jolly captain brings
home Chinaman load of fat curlew from
the fresh water ponds of the Llanos for
ty-five, with two barrels, my boy
Meanwhile surveys go on and maps are
made by the company's able engineer, of
farms and village sites, and the projected
city OF 'Cortez' named after the great
| conc ueror of Mexico and discoverer, in
1884, of Lower California.
! "On the opposite side of the great bay
the officers of the flagship Ossippee make
scientific surveys and verifcations of Man
| o. War Cove which, with its sheltered
anchorage, fine holding ground, dry dock
and coaling advantages, easy capability for
impregnable defence, and perfect accessi-
bility under steam and sail. will probably
be the principal rendezvous of the vessels
of the United States, and will give to the
United States the absolute control of the
Pacific ocean.
"Gardens are also made. Spading the
virgil soil aud planting every vegetable
and flower OF temperate and torrid zone.
Corn, two weeks from planting. il a foot
high. and soon the roasting ears will be
ready.
''And SO all work with high beart and
courage, confident of the immediate future
aud thankful to God for being permitted
by Him to be the instruments to inaugur-
ate new era of intelligence, energy and
prosperity in this rch and beautiful
country. so long crushed by misrule and
abandoned to ignorance and sloth."