The weekly Arizona miner., 1870-10-15


 Grass is plenty on some portions of the days | drive, and scarce on others. We arrived at Bear Springs, in the pine timber, about five o'clock, after a tresome journey. The water from these springs runs south towards the Verde, and is plenty and good. Distance travelled, fully eightesn Hailcs.
 Thwsiny Sepi 1.-The camp was aroused long before daylight, everything got in read mess, and we started just as the sun pCcrcd over tue great mountain range to the east oi us Tbe road to-day was through mountains,
 which were covered witA nutritious greesoe, and very heavy growth of large pine trees.
 Clover was plenty in the small valleys water
 was found in tanks, and the day's journey
 would have been a delightful one but for the
 rocky nature of tho greater portion of the
 ground passed over We reached Lcroax
 Springs and valley early in the afternoon
 when the Colonel, with hIs usual precaution
 and foresight, selected good and safe camp.
 Tee water at this point was good and plenty,
 as were also, the grass and pine timber and
 we are very sure that, for bOldness, grandeur and inpressiyeness, the scenery was equal to that Of any other portion of the continent ln front and westward of our camp lay an ! immense ysliey. hc;Huci !H by pnc-eiad h,is, ! and -eHtiHeled, as il wcrr by lofty peaks, | the highest and most prominent Of which ! were the three bald, wedge shaped ones | known as the San Francisco Mountains. Bill Williams Mountain, southwest from camp, |! was barely visible, and presented very rug | ged appearance Distance made, about hrsH- 1 ~ mies.
 1 FinaE, cDtemJsr 2.-Got an early start, as
 usual. Travelled across Lcroux valley, in ! which we found plenty of excellent water,
 and an iumense hole in the ground-an ex-
 tiuct crater-which, no doubt, in times past,
 yomited forth huge streams of molten lava. ! After leaving the valley, our route led around the western base of the San Francisco Noun
 tains, through thc largest, ,,rsightest kind of
 pine timher. It was late in tue afternoon
 when We arrived at Antelope Springs, on the
 northeast side Of San Francisco Mountain,
 and encamped, near an oNl abandoned stage
 station, not far from the great mountain,
 which is said Co be l20OO feet in hight Our
 camp being mile vr more from the springs,
 we bad some difficulty in finding water, but
 got enough for all purposes in rayine near
 camp. For a high mountain country-the
 highest in Arzona-water was scarce, and the
 grass quite dry, proving conclCsively that but
 little rain had fallen on the northern side oi
 the mountain the past summer. The night. were exceedingly cool, days very pleasant
 Road to-day, pretty good. Formation, trap
 Distance travelled, tUoty-fcur wilss.
 Saturday, SepicRb,r 3.-This days march brought to view some peculiar sights. We , had become tired of gazing at huge noun
 tans and pine trees, and felt relieved when , after travelling some eight or ten miles, cedar and jun.. 2er took the place of the pine, and ! the country to tbe north and cast opened tC our view, displaying jaggc,, reaks and pc:ats round. detached mountains, in which holes ol } depressions were observed, and which wer' . formerly active volcanos One of these 6 the most perfect type of extinct volcano or l the continent, was sketched by Dr. Wirtz { and the sketch, with others, will shortly b' r transferred 10 the pages of some leading maga g zine. lt may be guessed, from the foregoing e that the country passed over on this day e march was covered with lava, yet grass O 9 good quality was plenty, and an abundanc { of pure water was found in tanks at Cosnin' - Caves-which, by the way, is a singular look D ing place. which cannot now be described e After watering our animals and filling ou 1 vessels with that best-mOst necessary of al e liquIds--water, we drove on over poor conn I- try, and arrived early in tbe afternoon al th C old stage station on Canon DiablO where V - found little water in round holes in the soli q trap rock that formed the bed of the cahor t These holes, which had been formed by ,h d action of water turning pebbles and bowldcr e making them spin around--were from on - to four feet deep, and about one foot in d q ameter at their tops while the bottoms wer r. quite small. We found here good grass, an e gave the animals the benefit of it. Distanc r. made, about tteeHty-sigh miles.
 70 Sunday, Sep,emJer 4.-This was our fir, r. Sunday in the wilderness that is. on the pre, s- ent journey, and the day was spent in trave g. ing over bad road and poor country. I'll u icct is, this section of Arizona is not of mgr e. account, and we longcd to get over it. s Is we travelled as fast as the nature of the coui d try would admit, and late in the aftcrnoo ls encamped on the banks of the Little Color "a do, or as some call it, Flax River, which gel l. it's principal supply of water from the nortl lc ern sides of the Mogollon and Sierra Blanc ls ranges of mountains. Before reaching Il d river, we passed through a low range of san le hills, the material of which had been har, "a ened by exposure, etc, and curious were Il b, shapes into which the sides of the hills ba m been carcod by the action of the rain. Seri, .. and groups of large and small ceilules Tn, y, the eye in every direction, and with the cl g. rious shapes of the deep red rocks presente 'e a picture tine like of which is not often sec al Here, indeed, has nature labored with cur ar ous, unique effect While going throne es these rocks-hacks of Indians were disco, le cred. Previous to reaching them, we passe IT. over country covered with fat, volcan ? stone, m passing over which the sound mad '', by the vehicles led one to imagine that thel ls' were cayerns underneath. Near the rive 'o we came across a slough containing son O. water, and a great deal of mud. We passe 70 over 1t Tn safety, after some difficulty. an Ha Ht-& .s.